54

L E O B RA U D Y

Similarl)', the lurc o[ lhe $on1' lil' 1111' Si""", \th~I'SSS'" XII) i, their Hatterv of
Oclys.seus as rhe hera ofTroy: "tlic tvll1jlt.ltiCJIl
i:-: !tJ kllt>w .\'our ult imare reputation
l>erore ,mu are deael" (Vermcu!c, 2(3), I" ,,11',,('[ this has alreadv happened to
Odysseus when, IJ\ lhe court of Alkinos, a minstrd sings the Trov storv anel
Odysseus secretly \Veeps, When this happens a second time anel hi; weeping is
noticed by the king, lhe slage is set ler d1C revelation 01' his narne and the tel!ing of
his stor)',
3
4

For lhe connection o[ potlios with

Vermeule, 145-78,

"1'05

rather than with mere elesire (himeros), see

According to rnvths reflected in Sophocles's

Trachiniac

:\thidt".":

\\",'1",'

Ilroh,lhl,"

t~lllp(jr.1~-il..'.:".
TIl,'
(rI"Ct'C('

lurr1!_,lwd

pJaY,l:d bt"lor.c

th

h\'I'''", t" I",

l'Jr!il'sr

OI.\"I11pic and other

,)

dUIlCt'

an audience,

to

S,'l'

with

tlll'

ptTiodic
t

r.rit,

a proper

'

11r.II'q'(

-'pC/rI

(d".l

I I'qrlll,] II \" I ):" t Itr-ir

Renaiasancc painters
n1~gnanimo~~,d:-

with her whil domg

her portrait.

None

to :\pclles:

01' thr- ~Jrlit'~t

\',d'll"

to rules that
.>l'n~e

att ractr-d to a st orv that

Campaspe

\\-110

sourres

rrm-

OF CHARISMATIC

AUTHORITY

Thc general character of charisma

di:,-

are: the

spiruualize

,-\/exander had
had Iallcn in love

contain

the storv

it clearlv appealed to the newlv self-consr-iou-, Renaissance painters as a

par,Hhgm of rhe rcationship between the greal painu-r anel lhe great patron.
In d,e early ages of B~ddhism, before the ntroducton
of Budelhist representatlOnallmagerv, lhe stupa or buria! mound was one of the sole places for acts of
veneratron , Alexander
eommemorated the eleath of Bucephalus
in Ganelhra bv
foundmg the town of Bueephala along the H)'daspes, and in nearbv Rawalpind
there IS an aneient stirpa local!y venerated as the tomb of Bucephalus '(Bamm, 55),
.
In Greeee tself, as fifth-eentury dramatic literature had brought the myths
mt~ a more direct relationship with their audienee, so portraiture in the sarne
penod wa~ ~Iso beeoming much more realistic, Even when it \Vas idealizeel, it was
baseei on hvmg moelels rather than on traditional rules for the appearanee of a god,
The extent to which Alexander' s aetual features appeared on eoins in his lifetime
tS arguable, But his example was influential, and it soon becarne cornrnon for local
~ulers in \a~ious parts af his forrner empirf> to irnprt-se some vr-rsion nf their
laces 011 thcir money, Alexander's irnpact on Budrlhist eonceptions of author-it
while still debateel, are at least more uplifting, for his iconograph;' introduces the
possibilitv
that visualization might enhanee rather than dirninish greatness,
but

were especiallv

gi~-en up his mistress

SOCIOLOGY

it ions in ancirnt

ill,li\idlJ,d

\\.lrl"!!II"''''

t.':lIl\'alcnt
01 ,111 inte.rnalized
personal vir t ue. T!w g,lnlCS in this
\\ ar, and lhe athlete 1$ a transcendent
warrior,

THE

(anel later moralized by

in lhe' funeral P:Tt' 011

(,()IllPd

subordinil.tiOIl

pter 3

Max Weber

Accoreling to Plutareh, Alexa,neler also wantcd to pia;' tlu: l)Te of Achillcs, perhaps
as Achillcs IUlllself IS pla)'lIlg It when , as l ornct- dcscribes it, he receives Oelysseus
~nel others into his tent 011 their ernhassv to !',Tsuadc hirn 10 returri to the batrle.
Fhe diAercnt versions are recounted in Plutarch's biography 01' Alexaneler, which
was wntten not long before Arr-ians, See an)' cdition 01' lhe Lves cifthe Noble Greeks
and Romans, It is most convenienrlv
available iu lan Seott-Kih-erl's
Penguin
translatlOn, Plutarch, The .48e cif Alcxondcr
(I ')73), 283-84, (Scott-Kih-ert's
Penguin tr.inslations
rearrange the "parallel lives" intcnded
bv Plutareh into a
more chronological sequence,)
"
Isfocrates)" aft,f'~ the human hod:, nf H("'rc111('~\, -.,." luum-d
\.t. fel,l./H-' d!\II1l' j>.1rt asccndcd to Ilt,:.1\'l':/l.

c na

li R E:\

II C B, .-\ T [C

.-\. N

P AT R I A R C H A L

S T R U C T U R E

sare

antagonistic

in

manv waj's, yet thev have in eommon a most mportantpeculiarity:

permanenee.
111 this respeet they are both institutions
of dalv routine. Patriarehal power especial!y
is rooled in the provisioning of reeurrent
and normal needs of the workaday life.
Parriarchal author itv thus has its original locus in the economv,
that is, in those
branches of the economy that ean be satisfied by means of normal routine. The
patriareh is the 'natural leader' of the dailv routine. And in this respeet, the bureaucratic strueture is only the counter-image of patriarehalism transposed into rationalitv.
As a permanent strueture with a system of rational rules, bureaueraey is fasmoned to
meet caleulable and recurrent needs by means of a normal routine.
The provisioning of aI! demands that go beyond those of everyday routine has had,
in principle, an entirely heterogeneous, namely, a charismatic, foundation; the further
back we look in history, the more we find this to be the case. This means that the
'natural' leaders - in times of psychc, physical, economic, ethical, religious, politieal
distress - have been neither officeholders nor ineumbents of an 'oeeupation'
in the
present sense of the word, that is, men who have aequired expert knowledge and who
serve for remuneraton. The natural leaders in distress have been holders of specfic
gilh of the body and sprt; and these gifts have been believed to be supernatural, not
~ce,essible to ~verybody, The eoneept of 'eharisma' is here used in a completely
valuern-utral

senso.

The capaeity of the Irish culture hero, Cuehulain, ar of the Homerie Achllles for
heroic frenzv is a manic seizure, just as is that of the Arabian berserk who bites his
shield lke a mad dog - biting around until he darts off in raving bloodthirstiness.
For a
long time it has been maintained that the seizure of the berserk is artificially produeed
thraugh acute poisoning. ln Byzantium, a number of 'blond beasts,' dsposed to sueh

THE
56

MAX

seizures, were kept about, just as war elephants ,,'ere formcr!v

Sh~Il1,\IIist <,(',ta,,'

kl'jll,

is linked to constitutionai
epilepsv , the possession and th- te>!Ing 01 \\ hk-h represems
charismatic qualification. Hcnce neither is 'edifying' to our ~1inds, Th 'y are just as
little edifying to us as is the kind of 'revelation ;' for instancc, 01 th Sacrcd 1300k 01 the
Mormons, which, at least from an evaluative standpoint, perhaps would have to be
called a 'hoax,' But sociology is not concerned with sueh qucsuons. In the Iaith of
their followers, the chief of the Mormons has proved hrnsclf 10 bc charismatically
qualified, as have 'heroes' and 'sorcerers.'
Ali or them havc practiccd thcir arts and
ruled by virtue of this gift (charisma) and, where the idca 01' Cod has alreadv been
c1early conceived , by virtue of the dvine mission Iying thcrcin. This holds for doctors
and prophets, just as for judges and militarv leaders, or [01' lcaders of big hunting
expedtions.
It is to his credit that Rudolf Sohm brought out the sociolojjcal peculiarity of this
category of domination-structure
for a historicallv important special case, namelv, the
historical developrncnt of lhe authority ar the earv Christian church. Sohm performed this task with logical consistency, and hencc, bv neccssitv, he was one-sided
from a purely historical point of view, In principie, howcvcr, lhe n;ry sarne state of
affairs recurs universallv, although often it is rnost clearlv developed in the field ar
religion,
lu contrast to an;: kind of bureaucratic orgJlliZJlilJ1l (lI" Illlin:"!". the charismatir
structure knows nothing ()f a lorm (lr of JIl OrdtT\,d 1II"!"'\,\lurl' Id Jppt11lllml'nl or
dismissal. It 'knows ao reculated 'can-cr," 'ad,'aIH"'Ill<'nt,' '",1.'1'\',' or n'g-,t1akd anel
expert training of lhe hollh'l' 01' dlJri:-lll,l or 01' hi.. .ii.I-. h kll\ ,\\ . [Ij Jg\'lJc;' ut' comrol
or appeal , no local bailiwicks ar exclusive functional [urisdictions ; nor does it ernbrace
permanent institutions like our bureaucratic
'departnl<'nts,' whivh are independent ar
persons and of purelv personal charsma.
Charisma knows only inner determination
and inner restraint.
The holder of
charisma seizes the task that is adequate for hirn and demands obedience anrl a
following b)' virtue of his rnission. His success determines wlu-ther he linds thern. His
charismatic claim breaks down if his mission is not recognizcd h;' those to \\'hom
he feels he has been sent. 11' they reeognize him, he is their master - so long as he
knows how to maintain recognition through 'proving' himself. But he e10es not deri,'e
his 'right' Erom their will, in the manner of an election, Rather, the reverse holds: it
is the dUI:J of those to whom he addresses his mission to recognize him as their
charismatically qualified leader.
In Chinese theory, the emperor' s prerogatives are made dependent upon the
recognition of the people, But this does not mean recognition of the sovereignty of
the people any more than did the prophet' s necessity of getting recognition from
the believers in the early Christian community _The Chinese theory, rather, characterizes the charismatic narure of the monarch's position, which adheres to his personal
qualification and to his pTOI'ed worth,
Charisma ean be, and of course regularl)' is, qualitati\'l'h' particubrized,
This is an
internal rather than an external aH,r, and results in the qualitati,'e barrier of the
charisma holder's mission and power. In meaning and in eontenl the mission ma)' be
addressed to a group of men who are delimited locally, ethoieally, socially, politically,
occupationally, ar in some other way, Ir the mission is thus addressed to a Iimited
group of men, as is the rule, it finds its limits within their circle,
I

.'
H

.n
I'
t \

'ti
'I

j-;

i,

SOCIOLOGY

OF CHARISMATlC

AUTHORITY

57

WEBER

,
,
's
in ewr\'thing else , eh.rismatie domination is the
In its econot111C,uh-,trucltd"e, a tion
bur~aucratic domination depends llPon
"

I UUft..'clucral1C

omma

li'

ver v opposlle o
I'
'o, a monev eeonomy and money taxes,
"
and henee at east u potIan
I,
d
regular mcome,
fi' thi
Id TI' s has to be properl)' understoo '
I'
' th ugh not o
s wor ' 11
,
charisma ives m,
o,
d lib 't I)' shuns the possession of money and of pecumh
h isma qUite e I era e
I
Frequent Y e arr
s and
fh' [ike: but this is of eourse not t e
,
as did Saint Francis an many o IS I ,
'I
arv ncorne P'" se)
.
h'
ti c' domination
III the va ueJ

enius may exercise a c ansma 1

,
ru]e. Even a plrate g
Charismatie
olitical heroes seek booty and, above ali,
neutral sense mtended here.
, ,
PI'
iects as undignified any pecumary
,
d thi is decisive a wavs reJec
"
oold. But ehartsma, an d s t:
I I '
ral charisma rejects aI! ralional econOffile
0>,
th t I'Smethodical an rationai. n gene
,
gam a
I

i
,

conducl.
h'
d an)' 'I)atriarehal' structure that rests
"h h
contrast hetween c ansma an
"
1 e s arp
h Id' I' "
this reJ'ection of ratlOnal economlC
d b
of the 'house o
ies m I
,
d
upon the 01' ere
ase
,',
-ce orl,,'ivate gain for its holders m
f n chanSIlla IS nev cr a SOUI
f
conduel. lu ItS pure or t ,
I
h
ki
ai' a de ai Nor is it a source o
,
. 1 it tion 'rv t t" rn a ~1Il(J
.
ihc sense of eeonomlC exl' 01 a
,
,
b d J'ust as little does it nvolve an
, th f
f pecuniarv compensatlon, an
'f
incornc m e orm o
"
f it mission If the mission IS one o
, C h
t 'ai reqUirements o 1 S
'
orderl;' raxation ar t e ma er i
th
'ns
for charismatic structures; 01'
, di d I trons provlde
e necessan mea
th
'11
I'
"'d honoriftc gifts donations, ar o er
Pcace, 111 ,,'I ua pa I,'
IS ~ n""~t'( PIO'l
e
,-'
h
lho:-:l~ tj I whom t t' C l~llISlllJ. .
".
,
'
.' .:
h -roes bootv represents
'I
. . I
I, ':\"e nl \h,lrl"nulIl
\\ ,11' 10f
t.
-,
~
,
\",lunUf';
ron t r t lU\l"lb.
11 t h (',
. I,
'Purc' charisma IS
. .
1,'
,11 , .. lhe 1l1akl'lJ.\ m.-aus 01 t II nussion.
,
Ollt:' : d lhe
\'IH:.1:-- \\ I..
,.
.'
I .,,,,
pf tl'\l' urm lI~cd here) , It 15
.. .
11 l.ltrLlr\h~ll :llltnill.l1101\ {III 1 n- :-\ IL\
.
" .u t ,,1\\ t".1
I
',I
','
f rce that (hsregards eeonomy,
,
'1\'
\" -d -ouornv It I> 11<' \l rv
the oppoSllC 01 a 01 ( < I' ,ec
'h'
I "I
'i,n;,tic l.-adcr is afrer the acqUislllOn
Thi> al-o hol<"" indeed pr('('I>"ly, " ,I v lH cnarr:
,
h
Charisma can do this
ith the chansmatlc
war-rror ero.
of goods, as is the case WI
" ,,'
'
I' anel I,ermanent structure, but
, ,.'
~ 't is not aIl lIbtltUt1(lna
,
.
because bv ItS ,er; nature 1
k ' " h, ver .- oppasite of the instltullonaUy
r aiher, wherc us 'pure' type. is at wor c, II IS te)

"I',

'_,o

>

__'

'.

permanl'nt.
,
",'
h holders of charisma, the master as well
In order to do justlce to their rmssion, t c,
th ties of this world, outside of
as his dsciples and Iollowers, must sldandhoutslde
eo:ligations of family life. The
,
, I! as OUtSl e t e routtne
f
routine oecupatlOns, as \\e
r I ureh oflices' the members o
,
d
'Iude
the acceptance o c 1
,
statutes ar the JesuIl ar er pl ec
d'
t the original rule of St. Francis,
'dd
'opert)' 01' aeeor mg o
orders are for b I en to o\\'n pI
"d
th kn'ght af an arder have to
, f b'dd
t do so The pnest an
e
,
the order as sueh IS or I en ~ Id
'f
hetie ar artistic eharisma are actually
Iive in celibacy, and numerous - o ers o a prop
'n from this world or those who
singlc, Ali this is indicative of the unavOldable separatlth
, conditions of par, ') of eharisma In these respects,
e economlC
,
partake (K 17po
'(
ntl ,) antagonistic appearance, dependmg
ticipation in charisma may have an, appare , ,)
c
'
t nce _ and the way of !ife
h'
artlsUC or re l IglOuS, lOr ms a
upon the t)'Pe o f c ansma ,',
ts ar artistic origin represent
,
'1 d rn chansmatle mo' emen ,
flowing from its meanmg, 1\ o e
",
'da' language rentiers), Nor, filo
'm('nt (m e,en
,
,
'indcpendents
\\'ithout gam u emp ,'"
'11,
'I' ,:, ,tic I:,dcr. This is J'ust as
,
t!
b"
lI!
d
to
10
u" a L'aI I"".
mall)' such p,'rsons arco 'l' e,l <[ua I t:
,
,I' h demanded the
'
I f'
" '0\\' 01 po,'erty, " 11e
logicaI!y eonsistent as was the me d le,'a nar,'
very opposite,

lHE
58

MAX

Foundations

i.

, I

il

11'
ii!
,i,

!"
j'

and instability of 'h, r-isuratic

OF CHARlSMATlC

AUlHORlTY

59

I . .r.. ce ar hl'aI'enh' grace and from ihc god-like strength

I' !,snIlJ "XI".11l1I
..
'. c.
of ali ties to at~\' ,,"ternal order
t
l'isll1Jtic
dOll111l.:\llOn
mcans
a leJec 1011
dh
or l"~ Iiero.
13
.
I"
.
f th genuine mentalitv ar the prophet an
ero.
r
r ti eXc!lISI\'c g oriucauon o e
,
.
in av~r ~t ~:~it~de 'is r;"ollltionary and transvalues everything; it makes a sov~ngn
l-leu c, I. S ,
J' ..
I
rational norms: 'It is wr itten , but I say unto you.
,
brea~. with al.1L~a Itl~~:aris7,~atiCfonn ar settling disputes is by way of the prophet s
lhe spcClflcally .c
I'
b
r 'Solomonie' arbitration by a chansmat.lc
by~),ol~o~~m
yw~o
d
reve Iauou,
.
.
. d
. d by means of strietly concrete an
,
d
sage
This
arbltratlon
IS
etermme
I
I
ally qua IIle
I h
I'
absolute validitv l-lere lies t le proper
I ations whic 1 owever, c aim
. .
.
jndivi J ua I eva u
','.
h ,
. bi I
t the historical- sense ar the phrase. In ItS
"K di iustice rn t e prover ta -no
J
locus 01 a I-)U>ic
I"
di t'
of the Islamic Kadi is, or course, boun to
t al histariral 'ppearance t re )uns ICIOn
.
.
ar u
.
. .:
d is olten a highlv formalistie mterpretatlon.
sacred tradlUOil 'n.
c
' I Iail d 5 'urisdiction rise to an unettered
Only where these ntellcciua I toa s ai oe)
d
. d I Genuinely charis..
'.
I'
the l>articular case; but then it oes m eec.
'..
indiVidual act \3 umg
.
I'
f m it is the polar opposlte ai
. .
I
-s acts in this manner.
n ItS pure ar
matic )ustlce alVa).,.
. d i ..
Iree i the face of the sanctity of tradition
f
I and traditional bonds, an it 15)ust as ree in
arma . thc Iace of anv rationalist deductions from abstract concepts'
. th
as II IS .111
. e )Iac~ to discuss how the reference to the ae8um etb onum I~ e
Ihis IS not.th I
.. IStin' and the original meaning 01' Ellglish 'e'lulty are
Rornau adl1lllll,uJU<>I\ 01 Il..
. I d -I
th('ocratic K,di-iustic~ nllslanllsm
feblf'd to charbmatic
ju:-:ticc 111g.enL,,ra ao t~ ~H~ it v li'",' Illrth
ih prllJucls
ul' J.
. I ! B lh tht" J "c/11m l'( (',lnllf1l anc
1..:(IU1

'.
in ".1rOClI ar.
li
.
f"
. ...
I I J'rth- \h(' produc\
nl' ah"tract
con~tro'lgl:' r.ltion.lli/ld ,lClmllll:-:tr.ltlll11
lI) l.ll.:-btlU ji"!';" (~ 11t~ins J. rl'll..'I't.'IH'\.,' to dH' 'mores'
.
..
. I I . 111 J.J1\" C.1'1.' 1 h: c .x onu l c U
~
<':CpllO~lS ollr~J.I.lu'Jl '1\\'
~t'- IS 'I~st a..little of a genuinC' irrational
[us icc as does,
or

Ir rn t1ll' "ig"'"

aut hor-i ty

l'1

By its very nature, the existence of harisrnauc authority

is specilically unstabl e. The
holder may forego his charisma; hc may Ic I 'Iorsakcn bv his God,' as Jesus dd on the
cross; he ma)' prove to his followers thaL 'vrtue is gane out ofhim.' It is then that hs
mission is extinguished, and hope waits and s arches for a new holder of charisma.
The charismatic holder is deserteel by his lollo\'\~llg, however, (onlv) because pure
charisma does not known an)' 'Iegitimacy' other than that Aowing from personal
strength, that is, one whch is constantly being proved. The charismatic hera does not
deduce his authority from codes and statutes, as is the case \\'ith the jurisdiction ar
office; nor does he deduce his authority fram traditional custam ar feudal vows of
fath, as is the case with patrimonial po\\'er.
The charismatic leader gains anel maintains authorty
solelv
by pro\'ing his
strength in Me. If he wants to be a prophet, he must perforrn miracles; ir he wants to
be a war lord, he must perform heroic c\eec\s. Abovc ali, however, his divine mission
must 'prove' itself in that those who faithfully surrendcr to him rnust fare \\'e11. Ir thcv
do not fare wel!, he is obviously not the master sent b)' the gods.
This very serious meaning of genuine charisma evic\ently stands in radical contrast
to the convenient pretensions of present rulers to a 'divine right of kin~',' wtth its
reference to the 'inscrutable'
\ViII of the Lorrl, 'to whorn alun, tlw monarch i,
responsble,
The genuinely charisrnatic rulcr i:-: r{'spon~ihlf' prld:-;lI;' li liHI:'l' whrrm
he rules. He is responsible for but one thing. that he personallv anel artuallv I", rh .
Goc\-willed master.
During these last decades we have wunessed how the Chinese monareh impeaches
himselfbefore all the people because of his sins and insufficienres ir his adrninistration
does not succeed in warding off some distress frorn the governed, whether it is
inundations ar unsuccessful wars. Thus does a ruler whose power, even in I'cstiges and
theoretically, is genuinely charismatic depor t himself. And ir even this penitence does
not reconcile the deities, the charismatic emperor faces dispossession and deaih,
which often enough is consummated as a propitiatory sacrifice.
Meng-tse's (Mencius') thesis is that the peoples voice is 'God's voice ' (according
to him the only way in which God speaks!) has a very specfic meaning: ir the people
cease to recognize the ruler, it is expl-essly stated that he simply becomes a pri\'ate
citizen; and if he then wishes to be more, he becomes a usurper desening of punishment. The state of affairs that corresponds to these phrases, which sound highly
. revolutionary, recurs under primitive conditions without any such pathos. The charismatic eharacter adheres to almost ali primitive authorities with the exception of
domes ti e power in the narrowest sense, and the chieftain is often enough simply
deserted if suceess does not remain faithful to him.
The subjeets may extend a more active ar passive 'reeognition'
to the personal
mission of the charismatic master. His power rests upon this purely factual reeognition
and springs from faithful devotion. It is devotion to the extraordinary antl unhearJ-of,
to what is strange to ali rui e and tradition anJ ",hieh therefore is viewed as di\'ine. It is
a devotion born of distress and enthusiasm.
Genuine eharismatic domination therefore knows of no abstract legal coc\es and
J

SOCIOLOGY

WEBER

>

af bu!'aness

e anc t

HIS

ali.

.'

, ...

G
)'udge's '{r e discretion.
instance, Lh e erma!)
f'd'
f course a deri\'ati\'c of r-hartsm: tic
ki d f "".1 as a means o evi ence IS, o
.
A
. n;"m
o or'ue-ai a:
h'
I authoritv of the holder of rharisma hy a
.
B th
rdeal di<pla,es t c pe rsona
I
I'
justlc,:,. ut e o..
..
th d.
'1I This Ialls in thc sI' vere o
mechanism ar rules for lormall\' ascertammg
e li me \\1 . I .
,
..
ti
. 01' charisma with which we shall deal be ow.
the

routlnl'Za

ton

Charismatic kingship
.
. hi
nts a particularly important
ase
In the evolution of political chansma, kings p. r~prese iution or institutions. The king
in the historical development of the chansmatlchieg't,m
from eharismati
h roism.
l
is everywhere primarily a war lord, and ki ngs .p ;vo ve~ kingship is not the oldest
[n the form it displays in the history o fCIVI 1Ize peop es,
...
t a
,
..
B'
oltical' domlllatlon lS me,n
evlutionary form of 'poltical
d~ml~atlOn .. Y. Te distinct from dom stic authorpower that reaehes beyond and whleh IS, fi pn~Clp , evoted to leadin the peaceful
ity. It is distinct because, in the first tac~, ~~;:;~~
struggle ar man with nature; It IS, rat er, e
nne hun1.11l cOllllllunil:"

The

rt'decessors

wi~h ,ul~)thl'r.

~eading in the viol~nt conAict of

-

ar klllgShlp were the hol ers o

f all those charismatic

po\<\'ers

t ed

that guar~nt~ed t~ rcmedy ex~raordinar) external and ~1~::I~a~i~~:t;'~ssth:rl~'~~ea;es:or

the suecess of extraordinarv \entures. The chleftam o
,
), I I h d of the
.
h d h is the patnarc 13 ea
of kingship, is still a dual figure. On the one . an ~ le d
f the hunt and ",ar, the
Y
ea er o
f'larnl y or SI'b ) an d on the other , he is the chansmatlc

.s
ta.t.u.te.s.an_d.;.,.O
fno-'~.
o-r
m-al-'
W""a""Y
O_f_a_d
j~U",d_ic_a,..ti_o_n,..._I,..ts_'O_b,..j,..eC,..t,..i,..\'e,..',..I,..a,..",..',..e,..m,..a,..n,..a,..te,..s_concretel

60

MAX

WEB E R

sorcc.rcr, lhe rainmaker, the medicine man - and thus the priest and 1'11('dOt'lur
"nu
linallv, lhe arbiter; Often, yet not always, such charismatic Iun ti 11$ 01'.' "plit inta as
rnanv spccial
holders of charisma. Ratherfrequently
the chieftain 01" the hunt and ar
war stanels beside the ehieftain of peaee, who has essentially economin fun tions. In
coritrast to lhe latter, the chieftain of war acquires his charisma by proving his heroism
to a voluntarv following in suecessful raids leading to vi tory and booty. Even the
roval Assyrian inscriptions enumerate booties of the hunt anel ccdars rrorn Lcbanon _
dr~gged along for building purposes - alongside figures on thc slain enemies and lhe
size 01' the walls of conquered cities, whch are covered with skins peeleel olT lhe

THE

NATURE

AUTHOR1TY

OF CHAR1SMAT1C
ANO

1TS ROUT1N1ZAT10N

enern ies

The charismatic position (among primitives) is thus acquired wthout regarei to

in lhe sibs 01' domestic eommunities anel without any rulcs whatsoever. This
dualism 01'charisma and everyday routine is very frequently founel among lhe American Inelians, for instance, among the Confederacy of the Iroquois, as well as in Afriea
anel e1sewhere,
position

I
"!

li
j
!.

1:
11..',I
'1I'

Where war anel the big game hunt are absent, the charismatic chieftain _ the 'war
lorel' as we wish to call him, in contrast to the chieftain ofpeace _ is absent as well. In
peacetime, especially f elemental calamities, particularly drought and diseases, are
frequent, a charismatic sorcerer may have an essentially similar power in his hands. l-Ie
,i, a priestl\' lorel. The charisma of the war lord may 01' may not be unstable in nature
,lccorclillg 10 whether 01' not he proves himself anel wheiher 01' not there is any llceel
I; u ,1 war: lurd, I-Ie becornes a permanent figure when warfare becomes a chronic stato
o!' ,llhirs, I1 is a rue re tenninological question whether one wishes to let kingship, and
\\ ilh It til<' -rate, begin, only when strangers are affiliateel with and integrated into the
cOlnl11ul1it" as subjects, For our purposes it will be expedient to continue delimiting
lhe lerm 'state ' far more narrowly,
The existence of the war lord as a regular figure certainly does not depend upon a
tribal rui e over subjects of other tribes 01' upon individual slaves. Bis existenee
depend, solei" upon a ehronic state of war anel upon a comprehensive organization set
for warfaro. 011 the other hand, the development of kingship into a regular royal
administration does emerge only at the stage when a following of royal professional
warriors rules over the working or paying masses; at least, that is often the case. The
foreeful subjection of strange tribes, however, is not an absolutely inelispensable iink in
this ele\'el0l'ment. Internal elass stratification may bring about the very same social
elifferentation: the eharismatic following of warriors develops into a ruling caste. But
in every case, princely power and those groups having interests vested in it _ that
is, the war Iord's following - strive for legitimacy as soon as the rule has becomo
stable. They crave for a characteristic which would elefine the charismatically qualified
ruler.'

Charismatic authority
I S .\1 A' W I L L b e app I'ie d to a certain quality'd of an individual
f whch he is set apart frorn ordinarv men anel treate as
personality
b) virtue 01
h
an 01' at least specificallv
exceptional
po\Vers
eI -itl sUIJernatura
d
super um ,
'I.
en oweI" ' \VIl,
'"
,,'1>1,
t()
li",
ordinarv
pt'rsoll.
but
.. TI ',' ,)rI"' ";Ulh ,1-" an.,' not .l( (.t'S~1 c
.
. . IareI
or qua Itll~. ' h.
,.1' ihcm the indivi. ua
I" t.
.
..
..
-x "ml) I,Jf\
all( I ou thl hl"i."
,
regarded
as 01 (I\"IIH' unglIl (lI .1.-:c-: l
.:
~.
.; ","
.t an ."
thi- Ill"ndi.lr k ind ot
~
.
I,
I I 'ltltT
III pnnlltl\l'
li I\.. umr c-:
rOllccrlll'd
h U","Jtn
,1:-.,
\,.
I,'
,I
. ut ltinll t~lr thtTclllt'utic tIl' l"t!,"d
"
"I
"h"t..;
1(1 I){'np (' \\ it 1 J rl p
,
dd'("n->nCr 1:-' 1),11( tn !lT11P I ".
I
"
, Ir I'" verv olu.n rhought OI.1S re:'tillg
I 1
' 1 I 11 and icroes 111war,
,
wisdorn , to ca' cr 111 1 n- lU! "
ion would he' ultimate!v
judgcd from anv
'1
'
1-1 '" lhe qualitv III questIOn \\ ou
"
,
on maglca po\\crs,
o
"f"
iaturallv
entirelv
lor
h '
th r such pOll1t o view IS I
,
_ indiflerent
ethical, aest enc, 01' o e s
,
, h '~he individual
is actuallv
t' I li ' ,
What is alone Important IS 0\\
,
."
purposes o (e rrunon.
"
'
h'
v h,' his "follovvcr-s" or "UiSCll'ks,
d d bv those subjr-ct to char ismatic aut ont.l'
'A',
regar e
-'
"
.
treat a varietv of di erent l'PCS as
For IJresel1r purp,,,es II will be neeessary to
'I'"b
k r" whose
'
in thi '
I'
I des lhe state a a
erser e
being endowed with charisma 111t s sense. t melv
netimes been attributed to lhe
spells of maniac passion have, apparently \uong y, SOLI
eI
d -ith this tvne of
'
f peop e en owe wi
Jr
use of elrugs. In Meelieval Byzantiurn a group o
tind of wea ion . It ineludes the
charismatic war-like passion were maintained a~ a ki
iect to ~ ile toiel seizures as
"shaman " the kind of magician who m the pure t) pe IS subj
p hP h f
d of
'
.,
'\ ther t e is that of [oseph Smit , t e oun er
a means of fallmg mto trances. , no b
IYPfi d
this wa)' with absolute certainty
.
h h
ver cannot e c aSSI e m
Mormorusm, w o, . owe
,
o histicated t)'Pe of deliberate swindler.
since there is a possibilty that he was a velry s hP K t Eisner l who is carried away
" II . . I d th t e of intellectua , sue as ur
I
,
Fina y t mc u es e yp
..
I
I'
hieh must abstain from value
with hisown demagogie success, Sociologica ana ySIS, w
h
di g to
w o ' aecor 111
J'udgments wil! treat ali these on the same Ieve I as the mend sav
,
""
heroes prophets an savtour s.
conventional judgments are the g7~est
b':
t authoritv which is decisive for
It is recognition on the part O
ose su Jec O
. eI I~" ",hal is Ilc'leI to bc a
'1'1' 'I
I ' g,,'en anel guar,]nlee
the \'aliditv 01' charisma,
llS IS ree}
,
, u(, t'
lo the correS",,,
j
f4
"
11, always a miraele and conSlsls 111,e,o lon
, ,
slgn 01' proo,
ongll1a y
""
,h I. eI r But where charisma
'
h
'
hi
bsolute trust 111t e ea e ,
ponding re\'e!atIOn, ero \\ors p, 01' a
f h
I'
t [g'ltl'maey This basis lies
'
h' h' th b sis o t e c alm o e
,
is genuine, it is not thIS w IC IS e a
f th
h h "e b'een calleel to a
'
h
' , th d tv o
ose w o a
rather in the conceptIOn t at It IS e u ~
di I Psychologicallv t1s
charismatic mission to recognize its quality and to aet accor ng y.

R M

H E TE,.

,. C H A R
,,'

C H A R i S M A Ti C A U T H O R IT Y
62

il

'I

.;
!
,J,
'~

MAX

"r~c(lgnition" is a matter of complete personal devotion to the possessor of the quality,

arising our of enrhusiasm , or or despar and hope.
'\;0 prophet has ever regarded bis quality as dependent on the attitudes of the
masses toward him. No elective king or military leader has ever treated those who
have resisted him or tried to ignore him otherwise than as delinquent in duty. Failure
to take part in a militarv expedition under sueh leader, even though recruitment is
formaUy voluntarv,
has universally been met wth disdain,
Ir proof of bis charismatic qualification fails hm for long, the leader endowed with
charisma tends to think bis god or bis magical or heroic powers have deserted hm. If
he is for long unsuccessful, above ali if his leadership faHs to benefit his followers, it is
likely that bis charismatic authority will disappear, This is the genuine charismatic
meaning of the "gift of grace, '"~
Even the old Germanic kings were sometimes rejected with scorn. Similar
phenomena are very common among so-called "pr irnitive" peoples. In China the
eharismatic qualirv of the monarch, whch was transmitted unchanged by heredity,
was uphcld so rigidl)' that an;' misfortune whatever, not only defeats in war, but
drought, floods, or astronomical phenomena wbich were considered unlucky, forced
him to 00 public penance and might even force bis abdcaton. If such things occurred,
it was a sign that he did not possess the requisite eharismatic virtue, he was thus not a
legili,nate
"Son of Hcaven."
TI", c(>rl'nrat" group whch is subject to charismatic authority is based on an
"I11<,li"I1.,1i'"rlll (li' ,'ollll11unal relationship." The administrative stafl' of a charismatic
leadtT d( I\'~ no! consist of "()ffi('ials"~ at least its merubers are not technically trained. It
is 1101choscn 011t he b,bis ol social privilege nor from the point of view of domestic or
pcrsonal
dependcncv.
Ir is rather chosen in terms of the charismatic qualities of its
membcrs. The prophet has bis discples; the warlord bis selected henchmen; the
leader, generall;', his followers. There is no such thing as "appointment" or "dismissal ,"
no carcer, no promotion. There is only a "call" at the instance of the leader on the basis
of the charismatic qualification of those he sumrnons. There is no herarchy; the leader
rnerclv inter venes in general or in individual cases when he considers the members of
his stafl inadequate
to a task with which they have been entrusted. There is no such
thing as a definite sphere of authority and of competence, and no appropration of
off-icialpowers on the basis of social privileges. There may, however, be territorial or
functional limits to charismatic powers and and to the individual' s "mission," There is
no such thing as a salary or a benefice, Disciples or followers tend to live primarily in a
eommunistic relationsbip with their leader on means wmch have been provided by
voluntary gift, There are no established administrative organs, In theT place are agents
who have been provided with charismatic authority by their cbief or who possess
charisma of their own, There is no system of formal rules, of abstraet legal principIes,
and hence no process of judicial decision oriented to them, But equally there s no
legal wisdom oriented to judicial precedent, FormaUy concrete judgments are newly
created from case to case and are originally regarded as divine judgments and revelaliolls, !'rulll J substJllli\'l' poinl or \'e\\', every charismatic authority would have to
subscribe 10 the proposition, "lt is written , , ., but I say unto you, . , ."7 The genuine
prophel, Iike lhe gef1uine militar)' leader and every true leader in this sense, preaches,
creates, or demands nell' obligations, In lhe pure type of charisma, these are imposed
on the authority of reveiation by orades, or of the leader's own will, and are

l_-----~

63

WEBER
r,
,
mcmbers of the religious, rnilitarv , 01' part" graup, becau,~. rhev
recogl1lzed b) the
.'
'
I tv When such an authont" com" into
.uch a source. RecoO"llItIon IS a ( LI :.
.
'.
.
fr
come om sue
'h"
, 'f
ther who also claims chansrnatlc sanction ,
' h ti competll1g aut ority o ano
I
A
con ict wrt
1<:
ki d f
t t b)' magical means 01' even an actua
. . to some ~n o a con es ,
.
h
the ony ::~~:~;:e
leaders, In principle only one side can be in the right 111sue a
physlca
r must be
iltv of a ",rong which has to be exprated,
,
eonfltet; the othe
,guh )
'fi II
tside lhe realm of everv.day routme
,
I -itv IS t us specI ca y ou
,
Charismatte aut )011.) thi
t it : narply opposed both to rational , and
th
r sphere In IS respec ,1 IS S
,
and
e pro ane
,,'
thoritv and to traditional authorit)', whether in its patnparticularly bureaucI anc, au th ,'~.
BOlI, rational and traditional authority are
'
'I or an} o er 101rn .
,
archa,I patnmol1la ,
d
'
t '01 of action: while the charismatic type lS
'fi II f
of everv- av routme con I
,
,
specI, ca y or;s " of t1~s, Bureaucratic authoritv is specilically rational 111lhe sens;
>

~eb d~rec~::I:ld ~~Ii~,tellectually analysable rules; while charismatic authority IS~e('l '1
o emg
f bei
for
to a\l rules Traditional authoritv 15 ounc
ically irrational in the sense o em g OJe~gt) t
r t e pas and l~'this extent is also o~iented d to'
th
edents handed down rom
to e prec
' s )here of its claims, charismatic authority repudiares the pasl,an
IS
rules. Within the I
I"
r
It reco(rnizes no appropnatlon 01
, this sense a specifically rcvo uuonarj
orce,
",
th
rt of a
m "
f ower bv virtue of the possession of property: either on '. e, pa, '
pOSltlOnSor p).: llv .: ,"I -c tI QTOUpS. 'rl i.: on I\ 'l )J.=-"1'
or
I""Ilunac"
for
rt lS pcr>nnJI
~
l:.s
chier or o soCla : P~1\: l',:-\
t.I
'.
. I . J as it rc''j\-es rcco!;!nition and is abl
.
I g a' tt IS pron: ..I ' l1.lt rs , J:-. OTll ....,
,
c hansnla, so on ~ ::.
. .. I
I
1" T 't' 11 h' ..;()101l0' J.~ lht' Ilt'lid in li:'
to SJt::,h'

tlu- ro!lcl\\'l'r:, /)1' dl";\"p

t':"

{til

llb

a~:-.

(I

"

z-

inspir.llion
r(,IllJin:,.
,.
I
li-: "
\\'111\ has lu-e-u :'.lid Jpplit:- tI I
"lhc abovv is :'l'Jrt'l'!;' iu 1lt,\d \11 l urt icr t 1:--(U:--:-IOIL .. ~ I ' . ,'th his use of the
, '
f authoritv of such decreJ monarchs
as Napo eon , "I
"
the posmon
o
" h "r-u]e o r'"gelllus, \\ 'h'l C-h has. elt,,'ah'd
1'<'01,1"01 hurnblc
. '
1"

'
pleb,sc'te. It app ies to l e "
ds iust as much as it Jpplics to religious
origin to thrones and bigh mlitarv cornrnan 5, J

charisnl;tic

id
'
Wh
ver it
Prophets or 'war heroes.
'
'fi \I' foreign to economic consi eratlOns,
ene
Pure ch ansma IS specI ca )
"
h> ' d a "mission" or
,
,
~~ 11" in lhe ITIOSlenlphallC sense 01 t t:: \\ ar ,
.
a~fear;~u':1c:::)~I~uI~~s~ecpaurer\'pe, il diselains anel repudiares
economicrexploilalion
a splr
'
.
th
h to be sure this o ten remams
of the gifts of grace as a source of income, , oug ,
'th
unciation of
more an ideal than a [act. It is not that charisrna always means
e ohets anel their
f
' , ' n as under certam clreumstances prol'
property or even O aequIsltlo "
'I
k "boot ", the elective
disciples do, The heroic warrior and bis followers actlve y see
Y I:
.
Thp
"
I der re uires the matenal means o po\\er,
~:!:e~rin ~~d~~:~s:~~~r!a:t~ril~~ant

dis~ay or his authority to b;st:

h~: p~:s;~;:
d
What is despised, so long as the genuinely chansmattc type ;s a e erlar in~ome by
itinal or rational every-day economizing, the attamment o a, r gu
,
d Support by gifts sometlmes on a
thi
continuous economic activity d evote d to
s en ,
d
I 'h
'or
by
b b 'b
d gran -sca e onorana,
O th
th
hand
grand scale involving foundations, even Y n ery an
'I
I
of support.
n
e o er
,
, I"
f
begging , constitute the stnct y vo untary type
I'
th
ther n'p"a
orm o
"boot\' " or coercion ",hether b" forcE' or b;' ot ,er means, IS C O ' ,
,
"t '
,'
"
,
d 'F
h oint of view o[ rational economlC act1\'1 ),
charismatic provision for nee s, rom t e P,
f' . I, ment in the
,
,c
It repud,ates .n)' sort o ImO ,e
charisma is a typical antl-economlc lorce,
I'
I
I
'th
attitude of comI' ete emottona
every-day routine world, It can only to erate, \VI an
I '
I"
the recipipnt
,
'sitive acts In tlat It re le,es
indifl'erence, irregular, uns)'slematlc, acquI
"
b th
omic basis of
of economic concerns, dependence on property tncome can e e econ

64

MAX

WEB E R

CHARISMATIC

a char ismatic mede of life for some grau!)s; but that is not usuallv
normal charismati.: "revolut iouarv."

acceptable

for the

of solution:. . ..
..
(a) The search for a new charismatic leader on the basis 01 cntena 01 the qualities
hich WIlIfit him for the position of authority. This is to be found 111a rclativclv p,u-e
\V k
,
.
hild
type in the process of ehoice of: new Dalai Lama. It consists in the seal:ch .101' a c I
with eharaeteristics which are interpreted to mean that he IS a Iemcar nation of the
Buddha. This is verl' similar to the choice of the new Buli 01' Apis.
.
In this case the legitimacl' of the new charismatic leader is bound to cerram
distinguisrung characteristics; thus, to rules wit~ respect to whch a tradition
arises.
The result is a process of traditionalization in lavour of which the purely personal
character of leadershp is eliminated.
(b) By revelation manifested in orades, 10lS, divine judgm~'nts ur oi lur u-ihniques of selection. ln this case the legitimac". of lhe ncw lc-ader is dqwl1d,nt 011ti,..

intentions.

stereotvped periods, charisma is the greatest revolutionary force.

revolutionarv force ar "reason" works Ft-orn withoui b,\' altcring lhe situ.'li~Hl:, o l .n-t on. anel ht"'nC"l' its probkms,
fin.il lv in this wav chanl!ing rnen ' s altitudes
In traditionallv

The

equallv

lll\\',u,d

""'111: or-

it inll'lI"'('!ll,,lizv:, !lh' indi\'idu,l, Ch,lri:--nl.l'-IJ/l dh'~ntlhT h.ind

ruav in-

\ ~.l vc- " -u] )jn't iv c or int c-rn.r]r~'(lril'Ilt.Hiof)

bor n OUl nf :,un~-rilll2, l'Ollflii.-'ts, U!" ("nt'husi~sln.
II m.rv "\\'11 t'.- .-uh
in ,I Lldil.tI :dkr,lti1n\
fi!" 1!1(' ((,ntr.11
q..;krn
,l1titudt'.";
.un l din-r-rions
01 .ution with J complet.-lv
11('\\' orientation
(lr ali arutudes towa rd lhe dilerent probIt'fllS
anel <rrucrur.-, of tho "world ,,<l In pnratiunalistic
pcriods, t radition and charisma
betwccn
them have almost exhausted the whole of the orientation of action.

:lf

Thc

routinization

of charisma

its pure form charismatic authoritv has a character specifically foreign to every-day
routine structures. The social relationships directlv involved are strictly personal,
based on the validitv and praetice of charismatic personal gualities. [r this is not to
remain apurei)' transitory phenomenon, but to take on the character of a permanent
relationship forming a stable community of disciples or a band of followers or a
111

party organization or any sor t of political or hierocratic organization, it is neeessary

for the eharacter of eharismatic authority to hecome radically ehanged. Indeed, in its
pure form eharismatic authoritv mal' be said to exist only in the process of originating.
It cannot remain stable, but becomes either traditionalized or rationalized or a
combination of both.
'
The following are the principal motives underlying this transformation: (a) The
ideal and also the material inter('sts 01' the fol!o"'f'rs in the ,nntinuotion and the
continual !""acti\alion oi" the community, (b) the stil! stronger ideal and also stronger
material interests or the mcmhcrs 01' the administrati\e ,tafr, the disciples or other
follo,,er5 01' the charismatic leader in continuing their relationship. Not only this, but
the)" have an interest in continuing it in such a ",a) that both fram an ideal and a
material point of Yie\\",their own status is put on a stable e"erl'-da)" basis. This means,

65

or at least to
above a11,ma ki ng it possible to participare in normal familv_ relationships
.,
.
ocial
position
in
plaee
of
the
kind
of
dscipleship
which
15 cut oflfrorn
enjoy a secure s
.
.
...
relationships.
or di nary wor Idll' connexions , notably in the . farnily and. III econormc
.
.
These interests genera!!l' become conspicuously evident with the disappearance
f the ersonal eharismatic leader and with the problem of succession , which
P
O
. bl
inevita
y ar ises . The wal' in which this problem
.
.. is met, if it is met at ali and the .
charismatic group continues to exist, is 01 crucial Importanee for the character of
the subseguent social relationships. The following are the principal possible types

The fact that incurnbencv

01' chureh office has been forbidden to the ]esuits is a
rationalized application of this principle of discipleship. The facr that ali the "virtuosi"
01' asceticism, the mendicant orders, and fighters for a faith belong in this category, is
quite e1ear. Almost ali prophets have been supported by voluntarv gifts. The wellknown sa)'ing of St. Paul, "If a man does not work, neither shall he eat," was directed
against the swarm of charismatic missionaries. It obviouslv has nothing to do with a
positive valuation of economic activit)' for its own sake, but only lavs it down as a duty
of eaeh individual sornehow to provide for his own support. This bccause iie realized
that the purely charismatic parable of the Iilies of the field was not capable of literal
applcauon,
OUlat best "taking no thought for the rnor rncv'' could be hoped for. On the
other hand, in such a case as primar ilv an artistic type of charismatic dlscipleshp, it is
conceivable that insulation from economic struggle should rnean limitation of those
who were reallv eligible 10 lhe "econorncallv independent",
that is, to persons living
on incomc from propert;. This has been true of the circle 01' Stefan George, at least in
its pr imarv

AUTHORITY

!,

legitimacl' of the teehnique of his selection. This 1I1\0"e5,l I~rm. 01 kgal,zOl'Oll. 11 "
said that at times the Schofetim of Israel had this charartr-r.
Sa1l1 " said to ha\,' [",."
chosen by the old war oracle.
...
(c) By the designation on the part of the orig~nal ehans~,:atlc leader of h" own
successor and bis recognition on the part of the Iollowers. I his IS a very common
formo Originallv, the Roman magistracies were filIed entirelv in this wa)". The s:stem
survived most ,clearly into later times in the appointment o f "dictators "d
an m t h,.
in~titution of the "interrex." In this case legitimacy is acquired through the art of
designation.
.'
...
.
(d) Designation of a successor by the charismatically qualitied adrninistrative stal
and his recognition bl' the cornmunitv. In its tvpical form this pracess should gUlte
definitelv not be interpreted as "election" or "nornination" or anything of the sort. It is
not a matter offree seleetion, but of one which is strietly bound to objective dutv. It is
not to be determined mercly by majority vote, but is a queston of arriving at the
correct designation, the designation of the right person who is truly endowed with
charisma. It is quite possible that the minority and not the majority should be nght m
such a case. Unanimity is often required. It is obligatory to acknowledge a mistake and
persstence in error is a serious olfence. Making a wrong ehoice is a genuine wrong
reguiring expiation. Originalll' it was a magical olfence.
Nevertheless, in sueh a case it is easy for legitimacl' to take on the character of an
acquired right wruch is justified by standards of the correctness of the proeess bl'
which the position was acquired, for the most part, by ils having be~n accju,red 111
accordance with certain formalities, such as coronation. This was the onglllal meamng
of the eoronation of bishops and kings in the Western World by the dergy or the
nobilitl' with the "consent" of thecommunity.
There are numerous analogous phenomena aI! over the world. The fact that this is the origin of the modern conceptlOn of
"election" raises problems wrueh wil! have to be gone into later.

CHAR[SMATIC
B)' the conceprion that ch.uisrna is a qllalit}" lI'ansmitted 1' hercdill'; thus that
rt IS partlClpated in bv the kinsmen af us bearer, particlllarl)' I", his clos,,;t relalil'es,
This 15the case o/ here-ditarv char-ic ma. Th~ ordcr ol hereditarv sue .ess
h
.
c ssron 111 sue a
case need not be the same as that which is in force for appropnar d 'h
1.
'er
c
",
e
ng
ts,
out
mal'
d irrer rrorn rt , It 15 also sornerrrues necessar)' to selecr th
h""
,
,
e proper
en- within the
/cinship group by some of the methods just spoken of. thus '
'N
th
'
10
cerram
egro states
b ro ers h ave h ad to /iaht for the successon [n Chi
'h
d
b
,
,na
successto-,
a to take ,lace in
sueh a wa} that the relation 01 the lil'ing group to th
I"
I
d
b d Th
I
'
e aneestra sptrrts was not
istur e,
e ru e either of senioritv or of designation b 'th f II
h b
' th O'
'
)' e o owers as een ver"
common III e
rienr. Hence, in the house of O
'I
b
'
'
eliminate ali other passible candidales,
sman, it 'as een obhgatory to
,

Only in Medieval Europe anel in [apan universallv elsewh

I'
'
has the prinCipie 01' primogeniture, as gOl'erning the inh"
ere on) sporadlcall)';
clearly established, This has greath' lacilitated th
er;tance of author irv become
in that it has eliminated struggle
-t '
I e ,conso dauon 01 poltncal groups
charismatic [arnilv
'~
e li een apura Ity of candidate, Irorn the same

In the case of hereditarv charisma reco

iton
I
'
matic qualities of the indil'iJu I 1. , , 'h I gn,
IS no onger paid to the charis,
a , out to t e egltlmac}' of th
"h
h
'
bv hereditarv suecession This 111a' I d i h di
e posltlon e as acqured
,
,
'
\ ea III t e irectio
ith
f
di
or of legali>ation, Thr- rnnr 'lI
," I' "
'I""
n er er o tra Itlonalization
...
t..)
I. 1\ l/H:'
r!(J1l
IS f
J
.. "
I
comes to m.-an authurit\"
I .. ".
.,'
c.. un arn, nta :" a ltT(""d and now
)\
\ 11 tll~
()
.1 pf'rqmal
riohr
-f"
.
I
the r('co~rfljtil'IJ
o( th ..
,",
I';:..
\\ 1ICl 1.' /lll! ("pl"lldC'lll
011
cII~I -u IJt,'{
tr,
aut lnrit\,
l\'r,o
J
,)
,'.
bsent.
Herl'ditan'
".1 . '.
.'
. na c 1.l11.ma 111.1,\' ht' rotallv
.
1ll01\.1l( 1.\ b .1 "O/J'Ph'lIIll1S
ill1I ...lT.lli
1.\.'.
~
\\T\'
1l1111ltTUlh
hIT\.dilll'\
.i.. I
I
I
on. 11. "1.1 til,, t ' hJ\'\' /11.:'('11
,
,
JlI h .'llIJUl"
,J'u Ir'
"" I
th h
/cinship orOUI" has bo -n 't . t -d
", ,'~
ulucnt )',
e cr"ditan' charisma of
'"
t
rl a t as a cruerron
of s 'I
k
I ' ",
,
(j('f" and hendiCt;'s,
socra
ran
<111<
or. -l'Ilgd)llity for

(I

(f) The concept that charisma mal' be transrnr d bv '

.
to another or mal' I
'
d '.
,te
I
ritual means Irorn one
)f" create
111 a new per
TI
magical. It im'oh-es a dis;aciatl'
f h'
c
son. ne conecpl was originalh.
,,011
o C arrsma rrorn a Par (I
' I',' I I
"
an obJectil'e, transferablc ent itv In parI"
I'
b
leu ar me Ille uar, making it
,
I( U ar it mal' eco
th h'
f'
this case' the belicf in l('uit'I'I,,' , , "
I
'"'
me e c arrsma o oflice. In
c,
au IS no onver e irect d
h'
di ,
acquired nualities and to the 'cr,
'" f th
e to t e III ,ndual, but to the
,
ellectll'eness o
e r't I
Th
example is the transmission of priesth' ~h'
b ,I ua, acts,
e most important
laying on of hands' and of
,I
h'" ansma ) anomtlllg, consccralion, or the
,
rO)J aul onty b)' a "
d b
charaacr indelibil thus acquired
th "th
hnollltlIlg an
)' coronation. The
means
at
e c ansmat
I' ,
d
the office are emancipated from th
I
I' ,
IC qua !tles an powers 01'
reason this has from the D . , e pedrsohna qua IUes of the priest. For precisely this
,
,
onatlst an t e Montanist h
' d
revolution, been the subj'ect of
t'
I
fi'
eresles own to the Puritan
con lIlua con ICts The"h'
I' " f th
preacher endowed with the ch'
f ffi'
Ire 10g o
e Quakers is the
ansma o o ce.
Concomitant with the routinizaU'on of ch'
.
.
ansma wrth a I'lew t'
.
d
succession, go the interests in its routinization on the
o I.nsunng a equate
IS only in the initial stages and
I
h h
part of the admlIllStrallve staff, It
so ong as t e caris ma t' I d
'
completeh' outsid" """fI'-da\' SO('I'll '
','
,
IC ea er aets rn a \\'JI' \\'hic-h is
"
,,'
'li gallrz.lllnll
I IJt Jl I'
"'1>1> I' I' 'I
ll\'e cOlumunistcaJh' in a co
' .... f /' "
oS PO."..,1e ur 1IS 10 lo,,"ers
to
,
mmunltl O arth and emhusiasm
'f' "I
"
sporadlc acquisitioll, Onh' the mcm["
f ,h
II
' on gl ts, ,oot)' , or
and followers are re'
ers o t e sma group of enthusiastic disci les
bearer

I
I

,i
~I

'}

AUTHORITY

67

, (e)

great majoritv of ~iS:pa~:sda~d df:~o,te~h~irl,ilves lth,urelyidealistically to their call, ~he

,
OllelS 111 ll1 e long rUn "mak th'
I"
"
e elr Ivmg out

f thcir "ralling" in a material sense as well. Indeed , this must be the case if thc
'nL is not to disinteprate.
l-len I th routinization of charisma also takes the form of the appropriation of
pow 'rs f . ntrol and of economic advantages by the followers or disciples, and
of regulaLi n 01' the recrutment
of these groups, This process of traditionalization
or 01' I galizaLi n, a cording to whether rational legislation is involved or not, may
take any one 01' a number of typical forrns.
!l10V '111

The original basis of recruitment is personal charisma. With routinization, the

followcrs 01' disciples ma)' set up norms for recruitment,
in particular inl'oh'ing
training or tests of eligibility. Charisma can only be "awakened" and "tested", it cannot
be "lcarned" or "taught." Ali t)'pes of magical asceticism, as practiced b)' magicians and
heroes, and ali novitiates, belong in this category. These are means of closing the
group which constitutes the administrative staff,lO
Ooly the proved novice is alloweel to exercise author ity. A genuioe charismatic
leael ris in a position to oppose this type of prerequisite for rnembership. His successor is not, at least if he is chosen by the admnistratve staff. This t)'pe is iIIustrated b)'
the magical and warrior asceticism of the "meu' s house" with initiation ceremonies
and age groups. An individual who has not successfully gone through the initiation,
remains a "wornan"; that is, is excluded from the charisrnatic group,
lt is easy for charismatic norrns to be transformed into those defining a traditional
social status on a hereditary charismatic basis, If the leader is chosen Oll a heredil.IJ'\'
bass, it is very easy for hereditarv charisma to govern the selection of the administrative staff anel even, perhaps, those followers without an)' position 01' authoritv. Thc
term "familistic state"" will be applied when a political bodv is organized str ictlv and
completei)' in terms of this principie of hereditary charisma. In such a case, ali
appropriation of governing powers, of fiefs, benefices, and ali sorts of economic
aelvantages follow the same pattern, The result is that ali powers and advantages of ali
sorts become traditionalized. The heads of families, who are traditional gerontocrats
or patriarchs without personal charismatic legitimacy, regulate the exercise of these
powers which cannot be taken away frorn their family. It is not the t)'pe of position he
occupies which determines the rank of a man 01' of his family, but rather the hereditary charismatic rank of his family determines the position he will occupy. Japan,
before the development of bureaucraey, was organized in this way. The same was
undoubtedly true of China as well where, before the rationalization whieh took place
in the territorial states, authority was in the hands of the "old families." Other t)'pes
of examples are furnished by the caste system in [ndia, and by Russia before the
Mjestnitschestvo was introduced_ [ndeed, ali hereditary social classes with established
I'riVileges belong in the same category.
The administrative stalf may seek and achieve the creation and appropriation of
indiVidual positions and the eorresponding economic advantages for its members. [n
that case, according to whether the tendency is to traditionalization
or legalization,
there will develop (a) bene/ices, (b) offiees, or (c) fiers, [n tlle first case a praebendal
organization will result; in the secand, patrimonialism
or bureaucrac)'; in the third,
feudalism, These become appropriated in the place of the t)'pe of provision from gifts
Or booty without settled relation to the every-day economic structure.
Case (a), benefices, may consist in rights to the proceeds of begging, to payments
in kind, or to the proceeds of money taxes, or finally, to the proceeds of fees. Any one

68

MAX

ofthese

WEBER

CHARISMATIC

n13V result

lrorn the rq~lll.1tioll of provision

bv fref' gil"t.-;-01' hv "htHll\''' in knn.";
organizalion 01'c'inance. Regularized 'beggi,~g is f0~nd in 'l3uddhism;
benefices in kind, in the Chinese and [apanese "rice rents"; sUl'pon by rnonev taxation
has been the rule in ali the rationalized conquering states. The last case is common
everywhere, especially on the part of priests and judges and, in India, cven the militarv
authorities.
.
01' a ration'al

Case (1)), the translorrnaton or the charismatic mission into an otice, may have
more 01' a patrimonial 01' more 01' a bureaucratic charaeter. The ormcr is much the
more common; the latter is found principaUy in Meditcrrancau
Anuquitv and in
the modern Western world, Elsc"'here it is exceptional.
.
In case (c), onlv land rnav be apl'ropriated as a fiel', whercas lhe posit ion as such
retains its originaU} charismatic character. On the other hand, powers and authorirv
may be fully appropriated as fiels. It is difficuIt to distinguish the two cases. It is,
however, rare that orientation to lhe charismatic
characler 01' the position disappears
entirelv,
it did not do 50 in the Mddle Ages.
For charisma to be transrormed into a permanent routine srructure,
it is necessar)' that its anti-eeonomic charactor should be altered. It must be adapted to some
form of fiscal organization to provde for the needs of the group anel hence to the
cconomic

ClHlditilI11

matir- movernent
dil{t'rCllti,11t'd
adminisrratin'

.-, tl{'(~~.ln

uen:lops

fr/11ll

I~.r r,1i~illg

lJXC:-;

and

cUlllril)Uli()Il:-'.

in tI~(' dircrtion ~()I'praehendal

dIt' '\ lt'rg~''':th.n i.", thv IMrticip.1til1g

st.il} which h.l.' novv ht'c(Jtlw

rouunizod

provi-ann

11h..:I11I)\'I":-.

Tht'e

\\'flt'fl

,1

c haris-

. t h.- "1.1it\."lh-'cnmt~

tJ lhv l.'h..lri;-;nl.ltic

,lrv tl1\ prit"t...: uf tht'

dt'\"dupillg
"chunii." COITt'SPUlldillg';',
in J. Jen::lupiug
pultical
b(H.I;" lh~ \",ls:-ial:o::, lhe
holders of benefices, 01' aHicials are diHerentiated frorn the "tax paver s." TIl<' Ior nu-r,
instead 01' being the "Iollo"'ers" ot the leader, become state olJicials or appointed partv
officials. This ['roces5 is verv conspicuous in Buddhisrn and in the Hindu s.cts. Th~
same is true in all the states resulting from conquest whicl: havc becorno rat ionalized
to forrn permanent structures; also of parties and other rnove-mems whirh have
originaUy had a purelv charismatie charactcr. With the process 01' routinization lhe
charismatic group tends to de"elop into one of the Iorrns of everv-dav author itv
particularly the patrimonial form in its decentralized variant or the )l,r~aucratic. I~~
original peculiarities are apt to be retained in the charismatir standards of honour
attendant on the social status acquired by heredity or the holding of oFfice. This applies
to ali who participate in the process of appropriation,
the chief himself and the
members of his stalf. It is thus a matter of the type of prestige enjoved bl' ruling
groups. A heredtarv monarch bl' "divine right" is not a simple patrimonial chief,
patriarch, or sheik; a vassal is not a mere household retainer or officiaL Further details
must be deferred to the anall'sis of social stratification.

As a rule the process of routinization is not free of conflict. In the earll' stages
personal c1aims on the charisma of the chief are not easill' forgotten and the conflict
between the charisma of office or of hereditary status with personal charisma is a
t:VicaI

procE'Ss

in rnany

histuric.11

SilU.ltions.

The transformation

AUTHORITY

of char isrna in an anti-authoritarian

69

direction

A charismatic principie which originally was primarilv directed to the.legitimization

af authority ma)' be subject to interpretation or development m an anti-auth~ntanan
direction. This is true because the validitv of charismatic authority rests entirely on
reeognition bl' those subject to it, conditioned as this is by "proor'. of its gen.uineness.
This is true in spite of the fact that ths recognition of a charismatically quahfied, and
hence legitimate, person is treated as a duty When the organization .of the corporate
gruup undergoes a process of progressive rationalization , it is rea~ll' possible that,
instead of recognition being treated as a conseqr.;ence of legltlmacl', t IS treated as the
b '." of legitimacy. Legitimacy, that is, becomes "democratic." Thus, for instance,

asrs

"1

. ".

designation of a successor b} an administrative s~aff n:ay be ,~reate . as e ection I~

adnnce; while designation by the predecessor IS nommation ; whereas the recogrution by the graup becomes the true "election." The leader whose legitimacy r~sted on
his personal charisma thcn becomes leader by the grace of those who follow him smce
the latter are formallv free to elect and elevate to power as they please and even to
depose. For the loss
charisma and its proof involves the loss of genuine legitimacy.
The chie! now br-comes the freely elected leader.
COIT('sl'"ndingl--, the rccognition of charisrnatic decrees and judicial decisions
un ti", pari ",' til<' ""l11l11unit, shirts to the doctrine
that the g~oup has .a nght to
enart , reco~lIizc or- n'pcal [aws , according to their own free wIII, both m general
.l!Hj rUI" .111 i71di\ i.lual ,,b~.
1IIld\'1" gl'lllIillely charismatic authority, on the other hand,
it is, to b,' sure , tr ue that conlcts over the correct law mal' actuallv be decided by
a vote ar lhe groul" But this takes place under the pressure of the feeling that there
ean be onlv cone correct decision and it is a matter of duty to arrive at this.
The rnost importam
transitional lype, is the legitimization of authority by plebiscite.
The cornmouest examples are to be Iound in the party leaders of the modern state.
But it is alwavs presenl in cases where the chief feels himself to be acting on behalf
of the rnasses anel where his recognition is based on this. Both the Napoleons are
classical exarnples, in spite 01' the fact that legitimization bl' plebiscite took plac~ only
after the seizure of power by force. In the case of the second Napoleon; t was
confirmed 011 this basis after a severe loss of prestige. Regardless of how its real value
as ar. expression af the popular will may be regarded, the plebiscite has been formally
the specific means of establishing the legitimacl' of authonty on the basis of .the
free confidence of thase subject to author itv even though it be only formal or possibly
a fiction.
Once the elective principIe has been applied to the chief by a process of
reinterpretation
of charisma, it mal' be extended to the administrative s~alf. Electi~e
officials whose legitimacl' is derived from the confidence of those subJect to thelr
autJlOritl' and to recall if confidence ceases to exist, are typical of certain types of
democrades,
ror inSlan,e, th" United States. Thel' are not "bureaucratic"
types.
Because thev ha\"e an independent source of legitimacy, thel' are not stTongll' integrated in a hierarchical order. To a large exlent their "promotion" is not infl~enced by
their superiors and, correspondingly,
their functions are not cO~lTolled. rher~ are
analogies in other cases where se"eral charismatic structures, WhlCh are quahtatIvely
heterogeneous, exist side by side, as in the relations of the Oalai Lama and the Taschi
Lama. An administTati\'e structure organized in lhis way is, from a technical point of

;f

70

MAX

WEBER

CHAR[SMATIC

view, a greatly inferior "insuurnenr of precision as compared with lhe bureaucr atic
t)'pe eonsisting 01' appointed oflicials.
The use 01' the plebiscite as a means 01' legilimizing leaderslup on a democr atic
basis is the most eonspicuous tvpe in wluch democracv is combined with an important
role of leadershp, In its fundamental signifieance it is a t)'pe of charismatic authority in
which the authoritarian element is coneealed, beeause the traditiona] position 01' the
leader is held to be dependent on the will of those over whorn he exercses author itv
and to be legitimized only by this wll. In actual faet the leader, in this case the
demagogue, is able to influence aetion by vir tue 01' the devotion and trust his political
folIowers have in him personallv. In the first instance his po\\'er is onlv a po\\'er ovcr
those recruited to his folIowing, but in case, wth their aid, he is able to attain
positions of wider author ity it ma)' extend to the polirical graup as a whole. The t)'Pe
is best ilIustrated by the "dictators" who have emcrged in the revoiutions 01' the
aneient world and of modern times. Exarnples are: the Greek Aisvmnetes and the
tyrants and demagogues; in Rome thc Gracchi and their successors; in lhe' Italian ei!)'
states the Capicani de/popa/o; and certain t)'Pes 01' po!iticalleaders in the Gcrman cities
sueh as emerged in the democratic dictatorship of Zrich. In modern states lhe besr
examples are the dictatorship 01' Crornwell , and the leaders 01' the French Revolution
and of the First and Second Ernpire. Whereve-r att~ml'ts hnve bee-n made to lc-~itimi7e
this kind of exercise 01" pn\n'r lcgitilll.lc.\ lias b.c-n :-;oughl in recognili(JII L~v dh'
sovereign pe oplc through .l pll..'his,"itl'. Th,- I,'advr':-; PlT:'(,Il<.1J ,Hlmini:-:tLHi\"t" :'t.1I1' i:-i
recruited
in a charismatn lorm usuallv 1"1'0111 Ji>!t: pt"ople: 01" humhlc origino In
CrOI1l\\T"'WS

CJ:-iC,

rlligiulb

(IU,lliii\",lIillll'"

\\1"1"1'

l.!b'll

illlfl

.h"("(JlIIIt.

lu ih.u

oi"

AUTHORITY

71

organization. He is not appointed bv his superiors and the possblity of promotion is

1l11~ depe'ndent on their judgmenl.
011 the contrarv, his position is derived from the
fa\"Ourof the persons whose action he controls. Hence he is Iikely to be little interested in the prompt and strict observance of discipline which would be likely to win
the favour of super iors. The tcndency is rather for electoral positions to become
autocephalous spheres of authority. It is in general not possible to attain a high levei of
technical administrative efficiency with an e1eeted staff of officials. This is illustrated
b)' a comparison of the elected officals in the individual states in the United States
with the appointed officals of the Federal Government. It is similarly shown by
comparing the elected communal officials with the administration of the reform
ma,'ors with their own appointed stalIs. It is necessary to distinguish the type of
d,;,oerac)' where positions of authority are legitimized by plebiscite Irom that which
attempts to dispense with leadership altogether. The latter type is eharacterized by the
auernpt to reduce to a minimum the control 01' some men over others.
lt is characteristie 01' the dernocracv which makes room for leadership'" that there

r=

shoukl in general be a highly ernotional

of devotion to and trust in the leader.
This aceounts for a tendency to [avour the tjl'e of individual who is most spectacular,
who prornises the most, or who ernploys the most elIective propaganda measures in
lh,' rompetition for leadershp. This is a natural basis for the utopian eomponent
\\'hi('h is Iound in ali rcvoluuons. It also indicares the limitations on the level of
r.1tiiln.1Hl~ whkh. in thc- Il'Iod\'J"1l worl]. thi:, t~pt'of aclrninistration can attain. Even in
:\nwricJ.

it lias not ahI'C.1}"s {'(JIlll" LI!> to cxpcctat

ions.

!{n!l\":,-

pierre along with personal dependabilitv also cer tain "ethical" qualities. Napoleon
was concerned
on]v with pcrsonal
ahilitv .lnd adaptabilitv
to the needs of his imperial
"rule of genius,"
At the height of revolutionarv dictatorship lhe position 01' a rnernber of the
administrative stalI tends to be thai 01' a per,on entrusted with a specitic ad hoc task
subject to recai!. This was true of the role 01' the agents 01' the "Committee 01' Public
Safety." When a certain kind of cornmunal "dictaiors" have been s\\'ept into po\\'cr b)'
the reform movements in American cities the tendency has been to grant them
freedom to appoint their own stalI. Thus both traditional legitimac)' and formal
legality tend to be equally ignoreo by the revolutionary dictator, The tendency of
patriarchal authorities, in the administration of justiee and in their other functions,
has been to act in aceordance with substantive ideas of justice, wth utilitarian considerations and in terms of reasons of state. These tendencies are paralleled by the
revolutionary tribunais and by the substantive postulates of justiee of the radical
democracy of Antiquitv and of modern socialism. The process of routiriization 01'
revolutionary charisma then brings with it ehanges similar to those brought about by
the eorresponding process in other respects. Thus the development of a professional
army in England is derived from the principie of free ehoiee in the participation in
religious struggles in the davs of Crornwell. Similarlv, the French svstem 01' administration by prefects is derived [rorn lhe charismatic administration o{ the revolutionarv
democratic dictatorship.
.
The introduction of elected officials always involves a radical alteration in the
position of the charismatie leader. He becomes the "servant" 01' those under his
authority. There is no place for sueh a type in a tech.nically rational bureaueratic

Notes
I
2
3

Frcelerick 11of Prussia.

The manuseript breaks 011here (German Editor).
Thc leader ofthe corumunist ic expcr iment in Bavaria in [9[9.

B, .iihrun8
Gottes8naJentum.

6
7

10
I1
12

Weber uses the term Gemeinde, which is not directly translatable.

Something contrary to what was wr itten , as Jesus said in opposition to the Scribes
and Pharisees.
Weber used the antithesis 01' Charisma and AlIta8 in two senses. On the one hand,
of the extraordinary anel temporary as opposed to the every-day and routine; on
the other hand, the sacred as opposed to the profane.
Weber here uses Welt in quotation quotation marks, indicating that it refers to its
meaning in what is primarily a religious contexto It is the sphere of "worldly"
things and interests as distinguished from transceodental religious interests,
On the charismatie type of education, see Theory of Social and Economic Or8anizartcn, chap. iv,
Ccscblccbicrstoo: "

Fiibrcnlemoaorc,