Rational Choice and Human Agency in Economics and Sociology: Exploring the Weber-Austrian Connection

There has been a growing interest in the past decade or so in the intersection between economics and sociology. Much of the literature on this derives from a perceived disappointment by either economists or sociologists of the methods and approach to social questions of the other. Roughly, economic sociology is motivated mainly by the economist’s perception of the lack of rigor in sociology. Social questions, it is argued, are too important to be left to poor methodological treatment. Thus, economic imperialism and rational choice sociology result.