An Anatomy of Power : The Social Theory of Michael Mann

Michael Mann is one of the most influential sociologists of recent decades. His work has had a major impact in sociology, history, political science, international relations and other social science disciplines. His main work, The Sources of Social Power, of which two of three volumes have been completed, provides an all-encompassing account of the history of power from the beginnings of stratified societies to present day. Recently he has published two major works, Fascists and The Dark Side of Democracy. Yet unlike other contemporary social thinkers, Mann's work has not, until now, been systematically and critically assessed. This volume assembles a group of distinguished scholars to take stock, both of Mann's overall method and of his account of particular periods and historical cases. It also contains Mann's reply where he answers his critics and forcefully restates his position. This is a unique and provocative study for scholars and students alike. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Figures......Page 9 Contributors......Page 10 1 Introduction: the IEMP model and its critics......Page 13 Overview of the contributions......Page 21 Acknowledgements......Page 27 References......Page 28 2 Mann’s transformation of the classic sociological traditions......Page 31 From Marxian class conflict to Weberian three-dimensional stratification to Mann’s four power networks......Page 32 Globalizing the unit of analysis......Page 35 The rise of the military-centred, tax-extracting, society-penetrating state......Page 39 The mobilization of modern social conflict......Page 41 References......Page 44 Max Weber and Michael Mann......Page 45 An English social democrat......Page 48 Negative critique: the theory and practice of socialism......Page 54 Positive critique: nationalism and liberalism......Page 58 Decency and sympathy, Europe and America......Page 60 Conclusion......Page 62 Notes......Page 63 References......Page 66 4 Mann’s microfoundations: addressing neo-Weberian dilemmas......Page 68 The Weberian heritage: multiple microfoundations from both theoretical and empirical sources......Page 69 Cultural Weberianism......Page 71 Structural Weberianism......Page 72 Analytical Weberianism......Page 73 Mann’s solutions......Page 74 Mann’s use of multiple microfoundations......Page 75 Mann’s use of verstehen......Page 78 Conclusion......Page 79 Notes......Page 80 References......Page 81 5 Grand, yet grounded: ontology, theory, and method in Michael Mann’s historical sociology......Page 83 Foundations: Mann’s ‘organizational materialist’ ontology......Page 84 Analytics: a theory of social power......Page 86 Practice: Mann’s historical-sociological method......Page 90 Performance: on the hazards of analytical ‘tacking’......Page 98 Coda......Page 106 Notes......Page 107 References......Page 108 Ideological power: sources and silences......Page 113 The Protestant ethic revised: ideological power and the rise of the West......Page 118 The end of ideology? Ideological power and ‘causal primacy’......Page 129 Summary and conclusion......Page 140 Notes......Page 143 References......Page 144 7 Political power un-manned: a defence of the Holy Trinity from Mann’s military attack......Page 147 References......Page 160 8 Mann, the state and war......Page 162 Between neorealism and non-realism in Mann’s definition of the international: negating the rationale for historical sociology.........Page 165 Between thick and thin historical sociology: negating the rationale for historical sociology and compromising the IEMP model?......Page 172 Conclusion......Page 176 References......Page 177 Infrastructural power and economic transformation......Page 179 Infrastructural power and globalization......Page 181 The state’s infrastructural power......Page 183 Taxation......Page 187 Social welfare......Page 188 Industrial governance......Page 190 The state-enabling logic of globalization......Page 192 Conclusion......Page 195 References......Page 196 Introduction: Mann’s post-modern enlightenment conception......Page 201 1. Mann’s Theoretical Framework: the sources of social power......Page 203 2. The link between theory and history: the separation of the political from the economic......Page 207 3. The European Miracle......Page 208 4. The riddle resolved: coincidental capitalism from 800 AD......Page 212 II. Networks of social power or social-property relations?......Page 214 1. From collective to distributive power? The question of property differentials......Page 216 2. The merger of the economic and political in pre-capitalist societies......Page 222 3. European Miracle or feudal evolution?......Page 224 Conclusion......Page 237 Notes......Page 241 References......Page 244 11 The rise of the West......Page 245 Christianity, norms and transaction costs......Page 251 The papal and legal revolutions......Page 254 War, taxes and the origin of the modern state......Page 257 Political and economic efficiency......Page 263 Notes......Page 271 References......Page 272 Breakthroughs: Mann’s theory of state formation and development......Page 275 Limitations: Mann’s social theory and the emergence of modernity......Page 279 The comparative method and evidence......Page 283 Another type of power......Page 288 Conclusion......Page 291 References......Page 292 13 The ‘British’ sources of social power: reflections on history, sociology, and intellectual biography......Page 297 Notes......Page 313 References......Page 314 14 Networks and ideologies: the fusion of ‘is’ and ‘ought’ as a means to social power......Page 318 Mann’s stance on ideological power and social networks......Page 320 Prior infrastructure: trackfollowing or tracklaying?......Page 322 Social contradictions: power through integrative synthesis?......Page 324 The supply of ideology......Page 326 The demand for ideology......Page 328 Mechanisms of expansion: competitive advantage and positive feedback......Page 330 The relationship of ‘is’ and ‘ought’......Page 333 Implications for Mann’s research programme......Page 334 Implications for understanding contemporary networks and ideologies......Page 335 References......Page 337 15 Mann’s dark side: linking democracy and genocide......Page 340 Point 1: the association of democracy and murderous ethnic cleansing......Page 341 Point 2: genocide as the highest form of ghastly murder......Page 347 References......Page 351 16 The sources of social power revisited: a response to criticism......Page 355 Ideological power......Page 356 Political and military power......Page 363 Explaining murderous ethnic cleansing......Page 370 Economic versus political power: the European miracle......Page 377 Economic power......Page 382 Military power......Page 383 Conclusion......Page 396 Notes......Page 405 References......Page 406 Bibliography of Michael Mann’s Writings......Page 409 Index......Page 412 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Figures 9 Contributors 10 1 Introduction: the IEMP model and its critics 13 Overview of the contributions 21 Acknowledgements 27 References 28 2 Mann’s transformation of the classic sociological traditions 31 From Marxian class conflict to Weberian three-dimensional stratification to Mann’s four power networks 32 Globalizing the unit of analysis 35 The rise of the military-centred, tax-extracting, society-penetrating state 39 The mobilization of modern social conflict 41 References 44 3 Political questions 45 Max Weber and Michael Mann 45 An English social democrat 48 Negative critique: the theory and practice of socialism 54 Positive critique: nationalism and liberalism 58 Decency and sympathy, Europe and America 60 Conclusion 62 Notes 63 References 66 4 Mann’s microfoundations: addressing neo-Weberian dilemmas 68 The Weberian heritage: multiple microfoundations from both theoretical and empirical sources 69 Contemporary forms of neo-Weberian microfoundations 71 Cultural Weberianism 71 Structural Weberianism 72 Analytical Weberianism 73 Mann’s solutions 74 Mann’s use of multiple microfoundations 75 Mann’s use of verstehen 78 Conclusion 79 Notes 80 References 81 5 Grand, yet grounded: ontology, theory, and method in Michael Mann’s historical sociology 83 Foundations: Mann’s ‘organizational materialist’ ontology 84 Analytics: a theory of social power 86 Practice: Mann’s historical-sociological method 90 Performance: on the hazards of analytical ‘tacking’ 98 Coda 106 Notes 107 References 108 6 Mann’s theory of ideological power: sources, applications and elaborations 113 Ideological power: sources and silences 113 The Protestant ethic revised: ideological power and the rise of the West 118 The end of ideology? Ideological power and ‘causal primacy’ 129 Summary and conclusion 140 Notes 143 References 144 7 Political power un-manned: a defence of the Holy Trinity from Mann’s military attack 147 References 160 8 Mann, the state and war 162 Between neorealism and non-realism in Mann’s definition of the international: negating the rationale for historical sociology... 165 Between thick and thin historical sociology: negating the rationale for historical sociology and compromising the IEMP model? 172 Conclusion 176 References 177 9 Infrastructural power, economic transformation, and globalization 179 Infrastructural power and economic transformation 179 Infrastructural power and globalization 181 The state’s infrastructural power 183 The state’s declining social usefulness? 187 Taxation 187 Social welfare 188 Industrial governance 190 The state-enabling logic of globalization 192 Conclusion 195 Notes 196 References 196 10 From theory to history: ‘The European Dynamic’ or feudalism to capitalism? 201 Introduction: Mann’s post-modern enlightenment conception 201 I. From anti-holism to the European Miracle? 203 1. Mann’s Theoretical Framework: the sources of social power 203 2. The link between theory and history: the separation of the political from the economic 207 3. The European Miracle 208 4. The riddle resolved: coincidental capitalism from 800 AD 212 II. Networks of social power or social-property relations? 214 1. From collective to distributive power? The question of property differentials 216 2. The merger of the economic and political in pre-capitalist societies 222 3. European Miracle or feudal evolution? 224 Conclusion 237 Notes 241 References 244 11 The rise of the West 245 Christianity, norms and transaction costs 251 The papal and legal revolutions 254 War, taxes and the origin of the modern state 257 Political and economic efficiency 263 Notes 271 References 272 12 A historical, not comparative, method: breakthroughs and limitations in the theory and methodology of Michael Mann’s analysis of power 275 Breakthroughs: Mann’s theory of state formation and development 275 Limitations: Mann’s social theory and the emergence of modernity 279 The comparative method and evidence 283 Another type of power 288 Conclusion 291 Notes 292 References 292 13 The ‘British’ sources of social power: reflections on history, sociology, and intellectual biography 297 Notes 313 References 314 14 Networks and ideologies: the fusion of ‘is’ and ‘ought’ as a means to social power 318 Mann’s stance on ideological power and social networks 320 Structural potential 322 Prior infrastructure: trackfollowing or tracklaying? 322 Social contradictions: power through integrative synthesis? 324 The supply of ideology 326 The demand for ideology 328 Mechanisms of expansion: competitive advantage and positive feedback 330 The relationship of ‘is’ and ‘ought’ 333 Implications for Mann’s research programme 334 Implications for understanding contemporary networks and ideologies 335 Notes 337 References 337 15 Mann’s dark side: linking democracy and genocide 340 Point 1: the association of democracy and murderous ethnic cleansing 341 Point 2: genocide as the highest form of ghastly murder 347 Notes 351 References 351 16 The sources of social power revisited: a response to criticism 355 Ideological power 356 Political and military power 363 Explaining murderous ethnic cleansing 370 Economic versus political power: the European miracle 377 Economic power: the European Miracle versus Asian revisionism 382 Economic power 382 Ideological power 383 Political power 383 Military power 383 Conclusion 396 Notes 405 References 406 Bibliography of Michael Mann’s Writings 409 Index 412 Mann's transformation of the classic sociological traditions / Randall Collins Political questions / John A. Hall Mann's microfoundations: addressing neo-Weberian dilemmas / Edgar Kiser Grand, yet grounded: ontology, theory, and method in Michael Mann's historical sociology / Joseph Bryant Mann's theory of ideological power: sources, applications, and elaborations / Philip S. Gorski Political power un-manned: a defence of the Holy Trinity from Mann's military attack / Gianfranco Poggi Mann, the state, and war / John M. Hobson Infrastructural power, economic transformation, and globalization / Linda Weiss From theory to history: "The European dynamic" or feudalism to capitalism? / Robert Brenner The rise of the West / Stephan R. Epstein A historical, not comparative method: breakthroughs and limitations in the theory and methodology of Michael Mann's analysis of power / Jack A. Goldstone The "British" sources of social power: reflections on history, sociology, and intellectual biography / Frank Trentmann Networks and ideologies: the fusion of "is" and "ought" as a means to social power / Jack Snyder Mann's dark side: linking democracy and genocide / David Laitin The success of social power revisited: a response to criticism / Michael Mann.

Michael Mann is one of the most influential sociologists of recent decades. His work has had a major impact in sociology, history, political science, international relations and other social science disciplines. In this volume, his work has been systematically and critically assessed by distinguished scholars who take stock of Mann's overall method and of his account of particular periods and historical cases. This timely volume also contains Mann's reply where he answers his critics and forcefully restates his position. It will appeal to scholars across the social sciences.

Michael Mann is one of the most influential sociologists of recent decades. His work has had a major impact in sociology, history, political science and international relations. Here, for the first time, his work is systematically and critically assessed. This book will appeal across the social sciences In this volume, Michael Mann's work has been systematically and critically assessed by scholars who take stock of Mann's overall method and of his account of particular periods and historical cases. This volume also contains Mann's reply where he answers his critics and restates his position Edited By John A. Hall, Ralph Schroeder. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 397-399) And Index.