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In 1902, as Weber was recovering from his breakdown, he wrote to his wife, "I have finished Rickert. He is very good, to a large part I find in that what I have thought, if not in such logically worked out form. Regarding the terminology I have concerns."¹ Many commentators have seized upon this remark as firm evidence that Weber borrowed his methodology straight from his close friend and colleague Heinrich Rickert. These commentators include Alexander von Schelting, Dieter Henrich, H. H. Bruun, Thomas Burger, and Guy Oakes.² After Weber's death, Rickert himself promoted the notion that Weber borrowed his methodology.³ While there is something positive to be said about Rickert's influence on Weber, there are a number of other things that need to be taken into consideration.⁴ First, Rickert did not devise his methodology by himself, but relied heavily on the important work already done by his mentor, Wilhelm Windelband. Rickert himself notes how he firmly belongs to the Southwest School of Neo-Kantianism. Second, one look at the so-called Narvi Fragment will reveal Weber's major doubts about Rickert's philosophy, with serious questions about values and major complaints about metaphysics (Weber 2012b: 413–414).

DOI: 10.1057/9781137454799_3

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