Types of Authority: Legitimate Authority Max Weber Alice F. Short Hilliard Davidson Honors World Studies The Enlightenment

Max Weber “Power is the chance to impose your will within a social context, even when opposed and regardless of the integrity of that chance. ” “Politics means striving to share power or striving to influence the distribution of power, either among states or among groups within a state.” 

DISCUSSION: What is imperative co-ordination?

DISCUSSION: What are the motives for obedience? What types of motives are there? Why do they matter? (p. 324-25)

What does this mean? “Loyalty may be hypocritically simulated by individuals or by whole groups on purely opportunistic grounds, or carried out, in practice for reasons of material self-interest. Or people my submit from individual weakness and helplessness because there is no acceptable alternative.” (p. 326)

What does this mean? Furthermore as system of imperative co-ordination may—as often occurs in practice—be so completely assured of dominance, on the one hand by the obvious community of interests between the chief and his administrative staff as opposed to the subjects (bodyguards, Praetorians, ‘red’ or ‘white’ guards), on the other hand by the helplessness of the latter than it can afford to drop even the pretense of legitimacy.” (p. 327)

Reference the Reading: p. 328 Look where it initially explains the three PURE types of legitimate authority. What are the three types? In each of the three types of authority, who holds the authority.

NOTE: On what does the rest of the reading focus? Why do you think that’s what’s been selected to read?

What does this mean? “Hence, it follows that there is an obligation to obedience only within the sphere of the rationally delimited authority which, in terms of the order, has been conferred upon him.” (p. 330)

Small-Group Discussion: Count off by 8. Groups 1 & 2: p. 330-333 Groups 3 & 4: p. 333-334 Groups 5 & 6: p. 334-336 Groups 7 & 8: p. 337-340 Discuss you’re assigned pages in groups. Reference your annotations. Add to your annotations. Be prepared to give at least 2 quotes and explain what they mean. Be prepared to summarize, lead discussion and answer questions regarding your assigned pages.