Max Weber introduced the concept of “verstehen,” a German term that means “to understand.” He believed that sociology, unlike natural sciences, requires an interpretative understanding of human actions. A natural scientist, such as a chemist, studies phenomena from the outside, observing properties and behaviour without considering internal motives. For instance, when a chemist studies a substance, they don’t consider its internal feelings or motivations.
In contrast, Weber argued that a sociologist must approach society as an insider. Social scientists, being human themselves, have access to the motives and feelings of the people they study. This allows them to interpret the subjective meanings that individuals attach to their actions and the actions of others. This kind of understanding is unique to the social sciences and differs from how other sciences approach their subjects.
For Weber, verstehen is essential for sociology because it allows the sociologist to visualize the motivations behind a person’s actions by interpreting their feelings and understanding the situation from the actor’s perspective. However, Weber also noted that verstehen is only the first step in sociological analysis. After interpreting the motives, the sociologist must move on to causal explanation—that is, looking for the reasons or causes behind any social phenomena.
Weber emphasized that the use of verstehen helps sociologists gain a deeper insight into human behaviour, setting sociology apart from natural sciences.
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