Max Weber Essay

Maximilian Carl Emil Weber or better known as Max Weber is a German political economist and sociologist who is considered as one of the great founders of the contemporary discipline of sociology and public administration (â€Å"Weber, Max,† n. d. ). In a brief background, Max Weber started his career in a learning institution named University of Berlin (â€Å"Weber, Max,† n. d. ). Afterwards, he also worked in several Universities such as Heidelberg, Munich, and Freiburg as an academician in education (â€Å"Weber, Max,† n. d. ). Moreover, Max Weber is also famous in his thoughts about politics and religious faith as most of his literary works deal with rendering profound explanation in sociology of religion and government (â€Å"Weber, Max,† n. d. ). His essay called The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is considered to be the main manifestation of Max Weber’s standpoint about religion, which is later commended as the start of his excellence in the said topic (â€Å"Weber, Max,† n. d. ). Politics As A Vocation, on the other hand, is a lecture of Max Weber about government that has been well essential in the study of contemporary Western political science (â€Å"Politics as a Vocation,† n. d. ). Likewise, Max Weber also provides his own profound definition of Power, Authority and Coercion, just like any other sociologists. Thus, Max Weber defines power as the possibility that an individual or a person within a social relationship would be in a position to implement his or her own will despite the opposition, regardless of which grounds such probability rests (â€Å"Max Weber’s definition of the modern state 1918,† n. d. ). In addition to this, Max Weber states that power could either be legitimate and illegitimate. Authority, on the other hand, is characterized by Max Weber as the actual exercise of power that is directly set under the legal grounds. As such, he said that authority is the practice of legitimate power. In the end, Max Weber rationalization about coercion is the utilization of force under the grounds of illegitimate power (Kirby et al. , 2000). Nonetheless, Max Weber as a reputable sociologist had done a clear distinction on power, authority and coercion that has been significant in the sociology of religion and government. Referrences Kirby et al. (2000). Sociology in Perspective. (2nd ed. ). London: Heinemann Educational Publishers. Max Weber’s definition of the modern state 1918. (n. d. ). Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://www. mdx. ac. uk/WWW/STUDY/XWEB. HTM Politics as a Vocation. (n. d. ). Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://www. ne. jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/weber/lecture/politics_vocation. html Weber, Max. (n. d. ). Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://www. riseofthewest. net/thinkers/weber03. htm