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Introduction to PoliticsJanuary 26th, 2022
Max Weber on Authority
-Weber (1864-1920) was a German sociologist and political economist and is often credited as a
founder of the modern iterations of these disciplines.
Power
-can be defined as the ability of a person to make others do something that they would otherwise
not do. Basically, forced to do something or forced not to do something.
-the government has this power over us because they tell us what we can and cannot do.
3 variants of power
Influence
-change how someone thinks through your influence
-voluntary obedience
Coercion
-using physical force (violence) (or the credible threat thereof) to get your way
-this is the basis of life under tyranny (life under a terrible government)
Authority
-in democracy, authority is the crux of politics
-political implementation of power
,-authority lives in the realm of legitimacy (in a relationship together) (recognized by the people
who matter) rendered real and important
-Lance Armstrong was considered illegitimate because the people that matter (the international
cycling federation and the masses of people) rescinded his medals
Authority is only empowered if it is accompanied by legitimacy
-if authority is the right to command, legitimacy is the response to the command and this
response determines if it is successful
-in order for the authority of a government to be successful, it must be obeyed
-example: relationship between students/teachers; police/citizens
-the authority of the each is legitimated (or not) based on the response given
3 types of authority
1) Traditional Authority
-something that has its authority because we have always done something that way
-example: monarchy
-legitimated by virtue of tradition, i.e., a pattern over time
-example: patriarchal societies, no democratically defensible reason for it yet it still
happens. Even in societies like Canada where gender equality is a nominal goal/ priority,
persistent inequalities remain
2) Charismatic authority (drawn to them)
-type of magnetism
, -masses are drawn to leaders as a result of their charisma
-charisma may oratory, physical, or anything that provides that sense of magnetism/
attractiveness
-when faced with someone who is charismatic, legitimacy is suspended and what they say
makes sense
-examples: Oprah & Obama
-good examples of this are Trump and Hitler
3) Legal-Rational
-bestowed or given based on one’s legal position in a status hierarchy
-nominally meritocratic (on paper, you’re supposed to climb the latter on the basis of
your merit, the best competes in a latter of success)
-example, authority of policemen is given by law
-power of the uniform
-example: manager above you, says to do something else, and you say yes sure np, you
are legitimating their legal rational authority
-if you walk up to the intersection and the light is red and there are no cars and you still
don’t walk across the street, you take the riles and you follow them and don’t cross the
street.
, January 31st, 2022
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
-Life in the state of nature is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”
-The social contract requires us to surrender natural freedoms to create an orderly
society
-Natural law, he contends, teaches us the necessity of self-preservation: law and
government are required if order and security are to be protected.
-His political philosophy thus advocated a form of absolutist authoritarianism where
order is placed above justice.
Miserable life,
scared, fear
State of Nature
Give away freedom for peace
Social Contract
empower
Political Government (life under law)
obligation
Peace= Order
Absolutist: government has total control/ power
Authoritarianism: government by force
There are no rights if you are to survive
Political Obligation: MUST OBEY
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