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Politics as a Vocation

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283: 523:" and dependent on the personality of the ruler, and the loyalty of his followers. There is no emphasis on technical capacity as there is in the second form of the state, which is considered to be modern. In the modern form, the administrators do not personally own the money, buildings, and organizations they direct. Executive decisions often remain with political figures, even though they do not have the technical ability that the modern professional administrators do. 581: 595: 66: 168: 25: 397:
reasoning needed to govern justly and effectively. Weber finds this to be a common characteristic among politicians. As a result, Weber claims, the danger of politics is rooted in the relationship of the politician to the means of violence which are intrinsic to the state, and which will be misused
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The administrative staff beneath the ruler in status and power has its own means of administration separate from those of the ruler. This can include various forms of wealth and possessions, as well as means of production and control over labor. This administrative staff is essentially aristocratic,
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of Moral Conviction" with an "Ethic of Responsibility." The Ethic of Moral Conviction refers to the core unshakeable beliefs that a politician must hold. The Ethic of Responsibility refers to the day-to-day need to use the means of the state's violence in a fashion which preserves the peace for the
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To do this, Weber writes, "Politics is made with the head, not with the other parts of body, nor the soul". The most effective politician is one who can excite the emotions of the people who follow, while governing strictly with a cold hard reason—the head. But, he believes, this is a task normal
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of 1919 which was underway when he wrote the essay. He gloomily predicts that the emotional excitement of the moment in 1919 will bring only "polar nights with an icy darkness and harshness, no matter what group will successfully seize power at present." After saying this, Weber ends on a mildly
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Weber defines the following: "The state is seen as the sole grantor of the 'right' to physical force. Therefore, 'politics' in our case would mean the pursuit for a portion of power or for influencing the division of power whether it is between states, or between groups of people which the state
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Weber defines politics as a form of "independent leadership activity". In this essay, the "state" serves as the placeholder for the analysis of political organizations. The grounds for the legitimate rule of these political organizations, according to Weber, fall into three major categories, or
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Much of the middle part of "Politics as a Vocation" consists of Weber's definitions of charisma and leaders, and of the type of people who are called to the profession of politics. This is developed by lengthy historical descriptions of how modern politics emerged. Emphasis is placed on the
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The administrative staff is completely or partially separated from the actual tools of administration, similar to Marx's conception of how the proletariat is separated from the means of production. This staff become confidants without means in a patriarchal organization of deference and
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by any vain politician. This is why Weber emphasizes that the practice of politics is so difficult, and not a task for someone who seeks salvation for their eternal soul through the practice of peace and brotherhood. In developing these points, he makes reference to the
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Nur wer sicher ist, dass er daran nicht zerbricht, wenn die Welt, von seinem Standpunkt aus gesehen, zu dumm oder zu gemein ist für das, was er ihr bieten will, dass er all dem gegenüber: 'dennoch!' zu sagen vermag, nur der hat den 'Beruf' zur
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creates unique problems for politicians because they do indeed control the tools of legitimate violence. Common vanity, Weber writes, means that politicians are tempted to make decisions based on emotional attachments to followers and
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historical examples of Great Britain, the United States, and Germany, though examples from France, China, Rome, Ancient Greece, and elsewhere are mentioned. In developing these examples, Weber demonstrates the extent of his grasp of
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optimistic note: "Only someone who is certain that it will not break him when, from where he stands, the world looks too stupid or mean for what he wants to offer it—that in spite of everything he will be able to say ‘but,
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Weber focuses his analysis on "political organizations", i.e. "states", and identifies two general forms of the state, supposedly encompassing all state forms at the most general level:
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Weber delineates two different ideas of the "state" based on the relationship between the administrators and their access to the actual means of administration. The first form is "
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encompasses." Following this definition, Weber notes that there are three principles justifying the legitimacy of political domination of the state: traditional authority,
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In the final section of "Politics as a Vocation", Weber returns to the description of the politician. His main point is that the politician needs to balance an "
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which are enforced by technically trained civil servants. Legal authority assumes a rational competence and conditioned
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greater good. A politician, Weber writes, must make compromises between these two ethics.
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The authority of "eternal past," based on habit. Weber defines custom as largely
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Roman Agrarian History and Its Significance for Public and Private Law
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The 'Objectivity' of Knowledge in Social Science and Social Policy
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of both the civil servants and the people to the legal apparatus.
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In the concluding sentences of the essay, Weber comments on the
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Zur Geschichte der Handelsgesellschaften im Mittelalter
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This happened during the 762: 501: 1154: 1145: 1096: 837:Condition of Farm Labour in Eastern Germany 53:Learn how and when to remove these messages 943:The Rejection and the Meaning of the World 861:The Economic Ethics of the World Religions 769: 755: 425:!'—only he has the 'call' for politics!" 381:humans cannot do, because they are vain. 270:Learn how and when to remove this message 252:Learn how and when to remove this message 150:Learn how and when to remove this message 1065:Three-component theory of stratification 281: 1195:Academic works about political science 1187: 1070:Tripartite classification of authority 566:Weber's Rationalism and Modern Society 188:Please improve this article by adding 750: 467:of an individual". Associated with " 161: 88:adding citations to reliable sources 59: 18: 13: 701:Weber 2015: 198 (retranslated); " 452:Charisma Authority (Gift of Grace) 14: 1226: 721: 511:subdivided into distinct estates; 429:Three grounds for legitimate rule 34:This article has multiple issues. 593: 579: 552:Weber: Selections in Translation 357:authority, and legal authority. 166: 64: 23: 1164:German Sociological Association 708: 526: 363:comparative historical research 75:needs additional citations for 42:or discuss these issues on the 695: 686: 677: 668: 659: 650: 641: 632: 623: 1: 776: 616: 543:, tr. and ed. Hans Gerth and 190:secondary or tertiary sources 1018:Methodological individualism 7: 572: 449:, and traditional in scope. 330:Bavarian Socialist Republic 10: 1231: 502:The two forms of the state 347: 1138: 1109: 985: 952: 920: 812: 784: 1148:Verein für Socialpolitik 1003:Inner-worldly asceticism 975:General Economic History 547:. New York: Free Press. 201:"Politics as a Vocation" 99:"Politics as a Vocation" 1169:German Democratic Party 316:to the "Free (i.e. Non- 16:1919 essay by Max Weber 1155: 1146: 1097: 968:Politics as a Vocation 455:The authority of the " 299: 292:Politics as a Vocation 287: 286:Politics as a Vocation 177:relies excessively on 1028:Protestant work ethic 961:Science as a Vocation 894:Sociology of Religion 876:The Religion of India 868:The Religion of China 559:The Vocation Lectures 438:Traditional Authority 400:two kingdoms doctrine 320:) Students Union" of 309:Science as a Vocation 285: 1174:Max Weber Foundation 1023:Monopoly on violence 564:Weber, Max (2015). 557:Weber, Max (2004). 550:Weber, Max (1978). 539:Weber, Max (1946). 465:leadership qualities 84:improve this article 1210:Essays by Max Weber 910:Economy and Society 845:The Stock Exchange 714:Weber 2015: 137–38 692:Weber 2015: 197–98 683:Weber 2015: 181–82 665:Weber 2015: 178–79 656:Weber 2015: 148–79 647:Weber 2015: 138–47 638:Weber 2015: 137–38 384:Weber writes that 288: 1182: 1181: 730:Politik als Beruf 533:Politik als Beruf 418:German Revolution 393:, and not on the 338:political science 326:German Revolution 300:Politik als Beruf 280: 279: 272: 262: 261: 254: 236: 160: 159: 152: 134: 57: 1222: 1200:Sociology essays 1160: 1151: 1102: 794:List of speeches 771: 764: 757: 748: 747: 715: 712: 706: 699: 693: 690: 684: 681: 675: 672: 666: 663: 657: 654: 648: 645: 639: 636: 630: 627: 603: 598: 597: 589: 584: 583: 275: 268: 257: 250: 246: 243: 237: 235: 194: 170: 162: 155: 148: 144: 141: 135: 133: 92: 68: 60: 49: 27: 26: 19: 1230: 1229: 1225: 1224: 1223: 1221: 1220: 1219: 1185: 1184: 1183: 1178: 1134: 1105: 1033:Rationalisation 981: 948: 916: 884:Ancient Judaism 808: 804:German politics 780: 775: 724: 719: 718: 713: 709: 700: 696: 691: 687: 682: 678: 674:Weber 2015: 181 673: 669: 664: 660: 655: 651: 646: 642: 637: 633: 629:Weber 2015: 136 628: 624: 619: 599: 592: 587:Politics portal 585: 578: 575: 545:C. Wright Mills 529: 504: 486:Legal Authority 431: 406:, and the holy 350: 276: 265: 264: 263: 258: 247: 241: 238: 195: 193: 187: 183:primary sources 171: 156: 145: 139: 136: 93: 91: 81: 69: 28: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1228: 1218: 1217: 1212: 1207: 1202: 1197: 1180: 1179: 1177: 1176: 1171: 1166: 1161: 1152: 1142: 1140: 1136: 1135: 1133: 1132: 1129:Marianne Weber 1126: 1120: 1113: 1111: 1107: 1106: 1104: 1103: 1094: 1089: 1088: 1087: 1082: 1080:Rational-legal 1077: 1067: 1062: 1061: 1060: 1058:Value-rational 1055: 1050: 1045: 1035: 1030: 1025: 1020: 1015: 1010: 1005: 1000: 995: 993:Disenchantment 989: 987: 983: 982: 980: 979: 971: 964: 956: 954: 950: 949: 947: 946: 939: 932: 924: 922: 918: 917: 915: 914: 906: 898: 890: 889: 888: 880: 872: 857: 849: 841: 833: 825: 816: 814: 810: 809: 807: 806: 801: 796: 791: 785: 782: 781: 774: 773: 766: 759: 751: 745: 744: 739: 734: 723: 722:External links 720: 717: 716: 707: 694: 685: 676: 667: 658: 649: 640: 631: 621: 620: 618: 615: 614: 613: 605: 604: 601:Society portal 590: 574: 571: 570: 569: 562: 555: 548: 541:From Max Weber 528: 525: 521:patrimonialism 517: 516: 512: 503: 500: 499: 498: 487: 484: 453: 450: 439: 430: 427: 349: 346: 278: 277: 260: 259: 174: 172: 165: 158: 157: 72: 70: 63: 58: 32: 31: 29: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1227: 1216: 1215:1919 speeches 1213: 1211: 1208: 1206: 1203: 1201: 1198: 1196: 1193: 1192: 1190: 1175: 1172: 1170: 1167: 1165: 1162: 1159: 1158: 1153: 1150: 1149: 1144: 1143: 1141: 1137: 1130: 1127: 1124: 1121: 1118: 1117:Max Weber Sr. 1115: 1114: 1112: 1108: 1101: 1100: 1095: 1093: 1092:Value-freedom 1090: 1086: 1083: 1081: 1078: 1076: 1073: 1072: 1071: 1068: 1066: 1063: 1059: 1056: 1054: 1051: 1049: 1046: 1044: 1041: 1040: 1039: 1038:Social action 1036: 1034: 1031: 1029: 1026: 1024: 1021: 1019: 1016: 1014: 1011: 1009: 1006: 1004: 1001: 999: 996: 994: 991: 990: 988: 984: 977: 976: 972: 969: 965: 962: 958: 957: 955: 951: 944: 940: 937: 933: 930: 926: 925: 923: 919: 912: 911: 907: 904: 903: 899: 896: 895: 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German
Max Weber
Science as a Vocation

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