Description
The distinguished historian David d'Avray applies seminal Weberian ideas to the comparative history of religion and the philosophy of law.
About the Author
D. L. d'Avray is Professor of Medieval History at University College London. A fellow of the British Academy since 2005, d'Avray has published widely on his research interests in medieval history.
Reviews
'In this carefully crafted volume, D. L. d'Avray offers a strong argument about how various rationalities can be found in history and in populations around the world. By doing so, he discredits the association of formal rationality with modernity, and claims that instrumental reasoning is a human universal.' Raul Acosta, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
'Unlike those historians who prefer to remain the prisoner of theories which are held unconsciously, David d'Avray's aim ... is to engage explicitly with the 'ideal types' of rationality catalogued in Max Weber's work in order to show their empirical value in the study of the religion of the medieval West ... constitute[s] a model of how historians can engage with social theory ... clearly and wittily written and resort[s] to technical jargon in order to clarify the argument rather than to obscure it ... logically structured and address[es] issues which are of interest not just to medievalists but also to historians of other periods, as well as to philosophers, anthropologists, sociologists and social theorists ... draw[s] effortlessly on an impressive range of empirical examples and [is] the product of wide reading in philosophy and social science.' S. H. Rigby, English Historical Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780521199209
Author D. L. d'Avray
Format Hardback
Page Count 224
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 490g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 156mm * 17mm