Eugen Weber - Impact

Impact

Weber is associated with several important academic arguments. His book: "Peasants into Frenchmen: The Modernization of Rural France 1870-1914", for instance, is a classic presentation of modernization theory. Although other historians such as Henri Mendras had put forward similar theories about the modernization of the French countryside, Weber's book was amongst the first to focus on changes in the period between 1870 and 1914. Weber emphasizes that well into the 19th century few French citizens regularly spoke French, but rather regional languages or dialects such as Breton, Gascon, Basque, Catalan, Flemish, Alsatian, and Corsican. Even in French-speaking areas provincial loyalties often transcended the putative bond of the nation. Between 1870 and 1914, Weber argued, a number of new forces penetrated the previously isolated countryside. These included the judicial and school systems, the army, the church, railways, roads, and a market economy. The result was the wholesale transformation of the population from "peasants," basically ignorant of the wider nation, to Frenchmen.

In his book, "Apocalypses: Prophecies, Cults, and Millennial Beliefs through the Ages.", Weber investigates the study of the Apocalypse (the revelation of God) in the Bible. He provides a critical review of the traditions of modern times which he calls "worldly times", characterized by people's influences often to be evil. Weber reflects on the manner in which the teaching of the Bible are being "recast" by modern worldly Christian churches. He discusses the modern day secularism of organized Christian churches who interpret and deftly twist the Bible to suit modern tastes of "worldly times". Wordly times are characterized by materialism, pursuits and indulgence in vain pleasures, with long term negative effects. Weber implores his reader to get out of ("worldly times"), come out of organised churches, turn down priests and pastors, walk out and study the Bible alone fellowshipping with God.

Weber proclaimed in "The Western Tradition" lectures of 1989:

"... here we are at the end of the 20th century with a lot of people lonely in a Godless world - and now they are denied not only God but the solid substance of judgement and perception". "The world has always been disgracefully managed but now you no longer know to whom to complain."

After he traversed the whole spectrum of western thought, tradition, civilization, and progress in The Western Tradition, Weber pointed at some of the profound ancient lessons from the Bible and laments the fact that many people today do not read it themselves. As an agnostic, Weber viewed the Bible primarily as an important piece of historical literature, calling it: “the epitome of wisdom, violence, high aspiration, and the hurtful achievements of mankind". He concluded his final lecture in the Western Tradition series by praising Western man as Promethean and then with Wordsworth's poetic phrase that, despite everything, "we are greater than we know."

A 2010 biography by Stanford Franklin, "Eugen Weber The Greatest Historian of our Times: Lessons of Greatness to the Future" presents Weber's life and works in positive terms.