From Bourdieu to Weber: Reforming the Theory of Fields

This paper discusses Bourdieu´s theory of fields, with reference to a collection of texts posthumously published in 2021, and in connection with his use of Max Weber´s work. The main line of argument is directed against Bourdieu´s reductionist assumptions and his correspondingly inadequate reading of Weber. The objections are first formulated in the context of a close reading of Bourdieu´s early essays on the religious field; here the key point is that he overstates the role of interests and does not take due note of Weber´s complementary emphasis on ideas. The discussion then moves to later and more complete theorizing of fields and identifies the conceptual privileging of power at the expense of culture as the core premise of Bourdieu´s reductionism.