To be progressive, Weber requires society to allow for the autotelic pursuit of the goals of a value sphere. Isn’t Weber developing himself an ideology rather than abolishing them?

We may say so indeed. But he also provides a rational acceptance condition in addition to the conditions of agreeing with our logic, knowledge, and morality—that claims on the meaning of the world must make sure that people can act autotelically in a value sphere. This condition implies that ideologies must not be totalitarian, as autotelic actions in value spheres are done for their own sake and rule out totalitarianism, which requires people to act for the values proclaimed by the state.

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1. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

   Ulrich Steinvorth

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Correspondence toUlrich Steinvorth.

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