Max Weber

THE BIG 4
1. Marx (class ideology, economics)
2. Neitzshe (morality, culture)
3. Weber (Power, legitimacy, culture)
4. Freud (sexuality, irrationality, sub-conscious)

Max Weber's most significant point is rationalisation, he believes that western civilisation rationalises everything, which counteracts Freud's opinion as he believes this is impossible.
Weber differentiates goal-rational from value-rational, he says that rational actions are not always taken to further ones goal, as an aspect of moral value comes into play without always thinking about the end result.
Goal Rational = A means to one end
Value Rational = The end sanctifies the means'
An example used in Weber's online lecture, is if you lie it may effectively be to further ones goals but in actual fact it violates moral value as you are not telling the truth.

After Karl Marx 1848 (Communist Manifesto) and 1871 (Paris Commune) there was no revolution, there was a rise in the German state and social democracy.

Weber like Marx is a Kantian - He believes as humans we can not know the objects in themselves, and that there is no absolute reality; only a mental picture. There are ideal types of social organisation including socialism, nationalism, liberalism etc, these ideal types are compared to the social reality. Weber holds there is no absolute knowledge, but it is possible for us to be honest and hold reasonable beliefs.


Weberian Analysis: 
There are four fundamental types of Social action
1. Instrumental/rational action - we take this action because we think it is a good idea and we want to.
2. Value-rational action - we take this action because we value it
3. Affectual/emotional - we take this action because of emotional reasons towards it.
4. Traditional - we take this action because it is seen as the normal thing to do in society.

Domination = Authority + Legitimacy
There are three types of authority figures:
1. Traditional - Those who have always been respected e.g parents, police, teachers etc.
2. Charismatic - Those who we follow e.g Jesus, Hitler etc.
3. Legal Rational  - Those who have a high rank in society e.g politician, judges etc

Bureau derives from the french word meaning desk, which extends to office. Bureaucracy is where rules (decisions) are conducted from an office.

Bureaucracy is a servant of government. Not only government services have bureaucracies though, political parties, churches, education bodies, private businesses etc all do too. They all have professional staff to communicate and keep record.

Bureaucracy is the division of Labour applied to administration. Weber regards bureaucracy as an important cause in the development of Capitalism. See Marx.
In Modern countries, rulers can now send messages through a bureau whereas in the middle ages kings ruled from horseback. Weber points out that armies have been bureaucratized. Napolean had to watch the battle from horseback and have staff officers gallop off with written messages. Whereas, modern generals will receive and send messages, and armies now have 'general staff'.

Weber labels the 'Ideal type' for bureaucracy as someone who will commit to the job full time, life time.  They also have to be educated recruits with credentials.  A modern bureaucrat is given a sufficient salary and job security otherwise people would not stay in the job full time for life. Bureaucrats do not own the 'means of administration' e.g computers and files, similar to how soldiers do not own their weapons and teachers do no own what they use. Bureaucrats must have a fixed salary, therefore they must not have any other source of income apart from a salary, or they won't reliably be following the rules. Reliable following of rules is regarded as the highest value in a bureaucracy.