Max Weber's Political Theory

The German sociologist Max Weber studied the bureaucratisation of society. His critical study became one of the most enduring parts of his work. It was Weber who began the studies of bureaucracy and whose works led to the popularization of this term. According to Max Weber, bureaucracy is defined as any system of administration conducted by trained professionals according to fixed rules. Bureaucracy is a type of business structure popular among governments and public administrations.

Adele Myers 16148886 Public Administration PA 4021 Politics and Public Administration How did Max Weber’s theory of bureaucracy have a major impact on the development of public administration systems? Illustrate your answer with examples. German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920) made a lasting contribution to organisation theory. His analysis of an ‘ideal type’ bureaucracy has been criticised and refined, but it remains the most quoted starting point for the study of large organisations, particularly in the public sector. The word ‘bureaucracy’ has many meanings, to political scientists it is a system of government by ‘bureaux’ of officials.

Libertarianism is still keenly influenced by Paine’s anti-Federalists sentiments within this paper simply applied to modern issues. As the king was tyrannizing economic freedom with his unfair tax system, on the official libertarian platform they call for the abolition of income tax as “all

Introduction Great thinkers, including Plato and Aristotle opened the doors to studying society; they based their thoughts on creating an “ideal society”. The science of Sociology was later developed in the early 19th century by Auguste Comte, who coined the word “Sociology”. He began to study society, using “critical thinking”. Comte believed that only by really understanding society could we begin to change it. In this Essay I will compare and contrast two major theoretical perspectives in Sociology.

Karl Marx Marx’s theory of social change is entwined with his idea of social classes and class conflicts. Marx believed that the class struggle forced social change. Marx’s theory is based on a class system

He saw private ownership as a necessity for development, all of which his ideas were based around “Laissez Faire”, “Invisible Hand” and “Free Market” economics (Smith, 1863). On the other hand, Karl Marx can also be seen as a founder, being the Father of Communism as a

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are two theorists known for their views regarding the social contract. Both theorists study the origins of government and the level of authority given to the state over individuals, thoroughly constructing their arguments through the social contract. A philosophical approach was used in both Hobbes’s and Locke’s arguments, however supporting different authorities. Thomas Hobbes advocates for absolutism whilst John Locke advocates for a constitutional government. Through the close examination of the state of nature, the relationships between subject and sovereign and views regarding the social contract, one can observe a more sensible basis for constructing a successful political society.

According to Marx and Engel, cited by Linklater (2005), there are two social classes, namely the bourgeoisies and the proletariats. The bourgeoisies have power in government and economics, while proletariats are only workers ruled by bourgeoisies (p.110). Marx said, “Class struggle have been the principal form of conflict in the whole of human history. Political revolution has been the main agent of historical development while technological innovation has been the driving-force behind social change” (Marx in Linkanter, 2005, p. 114). It means that there should be a political revolution to solve the class struggle.

Durkheim’s theories were founded on the concept of social facts, defined as norms, values and structures of society (Study.com 2003). Another concept that Durkheim was concerned with was the division of labour in society. The division of labour focused on the shift in societies from a simply society to one that is more complex (Study.com 2003). Durkheim like Marx has many independent concepts and his concepts like Marx’s were founded long before Weber was

Many of his writings are a testimony of this fact. Weber is regarded as one of the founding fathers of sociology along with Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx. But unlike Marx and Durkheim, Weber believed that the study of society should focus on social action and not so much on the social structures. He argued that structures in society were not independent of individuals but were an effect of interplay of human actions and it was sociology’s task to find the true meaning of those actions. If Weber somehow came to know about the influence his theories wield in the field of management today, he would be more than bemused.