Technical Expropriation and Counterrevolutionary Charisma. A comment on “Politics as a vacation” by Max Weber

Abstract

The article analyzes Max Weber’s conference titled “Politics as vocation”, emphasizing the relationship established between politics and technique. It argues that in such work Weber explains the functioning of statehood and politics related to an originary expropriation process, structuring Modernity, wich also origined Capitalism. Therefore, the proposal of dealing with rationalization’s effects and with German interwar period tensions adopts a paradox: Weber appeals to the leader’s grace, but at the same time he leaves it to the rule of technique, by engraving it into the legal order through the concept of plebiscite. In other words, turning charisma into a mechanism against increasing bureaucracy, Weber resignifies his revolutionary nature into counter-revolutionary and therefore, confined to technique rationality.