"Politics as a Vocation" Max Weber

"Like the political institutions historically preceding it, the state is a relation of men dominating men, a

relation supported by means of legitimate (i.e. considered to be legitimate) violence. If the state is to exist,

the dominated must obey the authority claimed by the powers that be. When and why do men obey? Upon

what inner justifications and upon what external means does this domination rest...

There is the authority of the extraordinary and personal gift of grace(charisma), the absolutely personal

devotion and personal confidence in revelation, heroism, or other qualities of individual leadership. This is

'charismatic' domination, as exercised by the prophet or--in the field of politics--by the elected war lord, the

plebiscitarian ruler, the great demagogue, or the political party leader."

 

 

This quotaion by Weber highlights the relation between a state and it's citizens, specifically the role of obeying authority. Weber describes that there is a justification for the domination of a man upon another man. One of these "legitimatations of domination" is a charismatic leader. Charismatic leaders tend to be chosen, because they inspire confidence and to a certain degree have heroic qualities. These charismatic leaders are able to exercise their authority upon their peers, by way of eloquent speech or inspire through actions. This is the case with President Obama,who was able to use his charismatic personality to inspire young voters to vote for him. He was the "ideal type" of president.

Rosa Luxemberg Critique on Modern Capitalism

     "It is sheer insanity to believe that capitalists would goodhumoredly obey the socialist verdict of a parliament or of a national assembly, that they would calmly renounce property, profit, the right to exploit. All ruling classes fought to the end, with tenacious energy, to preserve their privileges. The Roman patricians and the medieval feudal barons alike, the English cavaliers and the American slavedealers, the Walachian boyars and the Lyonnais silk manufacturers – they all shed streams of blood, they all marched over corpses, murder, and arson, instigated civil war and treason, in order to defend their privileges and their power.


  Rosa Luxemberg details the inevitability of a war because of a ruling class not willing to forfeit their privileges.  It also portrays the drastic measures taken by previous ruling classes such as: instigating war, murder and treason.  The idea behind this quote is to illustrate the unwillingness for capitalism to stand down and let socialism take over. This also, underlines the destructive force of Capitalism and the consequences of trying to change it.  This polarization between Capitalism and Socialism, ultimately will spark a revolution to which Luxemberg adheres too. In terms of Nihilism, it can be seen that Luxemberg, as well as many other Germans had lost faith in the status quo and demanded change. The resulting factor was Luxembergs' Spartacus League, which sought to oppose the imperialist war and give back the power to the revolutionary majority. In other words, to withdraw power from the bourgeois and give it back to the laborers.