Politics as a Vocation
Max Weber
Weber gave the lecture in Munich on 28 January 1919 and it was published in extended form in July of that year. He defines the state by its claim on the legitimate use of physical force, then separates an ethic of conviction from an ethic of responsibility and argues that anyone who takes up politics has to live by the second. The link is to the Hackett volume that carries both vocation lectures, so it includes Science as a Vocation as well.
Why you should read this
Weber's lecture defines the modern state by its monopoly on the legitimate use of force and asks what kind of person can responsibly wield that kind of power. Introduces his distinction between an ethic of conviction and an ethic of responsibility, still a reference point in debates on political ethics.
- Field
- Political Philosophy
- Form
- Non-fiction
- Published
- 1919
- Themes
- PoliticsPolitical Philosophy
