[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985) › c17.2 # The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c17.2 The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c17.2 - **Language:** English ### [c17.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c17.2) For Weber, however, the point is the difference between the situation where ethnic groups, such as Jews and Gypsies in Europe, are tolerated, sometimes even privileged, because of their particular economic function and so are juxtaposed to a political society and the caste order that joins together the ethnic communities in a hierarchy of honor to create a political society in the common interest. The formula has been criticized for attempting to do too much, namely, connecting the hierarchical view of society with the exceptional situation of minority communities through the intermediary of the supposedly racial origins of caste.⁵ Its advantage, however, is that it keeps caste within the bounds of a comparative discourse.⁶ But - [Previous: c17.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c17.1) - [Next: c17.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c17.3) - [Up: c17](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c17) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c17.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c17.2) · Pramāṇa