The main proponent/theorist of social action theory is German sociologist Max We ber (1864-1920), who, along with Durkheim

and Marx, is considered one of the fat hers of sociology. To Weber, a social action was an action carried out by an individual to which a person attached a meaning, an action that takes into account the existence and p ossible reaction of others. In other words, if you do not think about an action, it is not a social action. So an accidental car accident or a sneeze are NOT so cial actions. Also, if an action does not take into account the existence and po ssible reaction of others (i,e. no one knows about it but you) it is also not a social action. So (for example) whacking off in the shower or praying in private are NOT social actions. Social action can be explained, according to Weber, in two levels of understandi ng (or 'Verstehen'). The first is 'direct observational understanding' (or 'aktu elles Verstehen'). For example, you can see that someone is upset by their facia l expression. If you see a person hitting wood with his axe, you know he is chop ping wood. However this is just the first level of understanding. The second level of understanding is 'explanatory understanding' (or 'erklarende s Verstehen'), that is, understanding the social action based on the meaning/mot ive behind his act. Was the woodcutter cutting to earn a wage, build a fire or t o work off anger? To achieve this kind of understanding it is necessary to imagi ne yourself in their situation to try and get at the motives behind their action s. To Weber even this level of understanding is not enough: for a full causal expla nation it is necessary to understand what gave rise to the motives behind the so cial actions.