Max Weber

About Max Weber

Max Weber (1864–1920) remains a foundational figure in sociology, earning him the #245 ranking on the MIT Pantheon project for his profound global cultural impact. His work fundamentally shaped modern social science, particularly through key concepts like the "Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," which linked religious ideas to the rise of modern capitalism, and his influential analysis of bureaucracy and the nature of legitimate political authority. His theories on rationalization and disenchantment remain central to understanding contemporary society and organizational structures.

Weber's historical importance is not fully reflected in contemporary internet attention. With an HPI Rank of #245, one might expect significant ongoing digital interest, yet his 535K annualized Wikipedia views in 2025 place him in a position of relatively balanced attention-an attention gap of approximately 1x. This suggests that, among highly influential historical figures, his online visibility aligns closely with his established scholarly importance, unlike those figures whose digital traffic vastly outstrips their historical ranking.

However, a slight decline is present in the recent data: his 2025 traffic saw an 11.8% year-over-year decrease, accompanied by a 7% negative momentum change when comparing Q1 to Q3 traffic, indicating a modest cooling of public online interest over the last year.