The making of an inspirational social theory with long-lasting influence for generations of scholars is driven by multiple interacting factors. Attempts at unravelling these require the involvement of surrounding disciplines, exploration of their histories, and understanding the role of the Spirit of the Time (zeitgeist) and its major challenges. These interacting factors indicate that not only the author’s creative mind but also the ways in which his/her principal concepts are understood and interpreted determine the fortune of his/her theory. Some ideas get miscomprehended or ignored; some never see their climax; others are treated uncritically as unquestionable facts. The proper understanding of a social theory, therefore, requires not only the awareness of the contribution made by its creator but also a good grasp of the historical, cultural, and political environment in which the theory develops and is appreciated by others.