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How did Max Weber classify traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal authority?
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Stone rubbing (19th century?) of Confucius from a design attributed to Wu Daoxuan (flourished 700–760 CE).
Max Weber identified three distinct sources of legitimacy that allow individuals or institutions to exercise authority and expect obedience from others. He classified these as follows:1
- Traditional Authority: This form of legitimacy is derived from long-standing customs and conventions. It is sanctified by the belief that things should be done as they have been done in the past.1
- Charismatic Authority: This authority rests on the personal devotion and confidence followers place in an individual perceived to have extraordinary, magnetic, or even divine qualities. It is an emotional bond rather than a rational one, often challenging established orders. Weber noted that such authority is frequently subject to the "routinization of charisma," where it eventually transforms into more stable, bureaucratic forms.12
- Rational-Legal Authority: This type is supported by a belief in the validity of legal statutes and the functional competence of those in power. It is the foundation of modern organizational and political structures, where authority is tied to a position or office rather than the specific person holding it.1
These categories serve as ideal types, providing a methodological framework for comparing how different societies and institutions establish and maintain power.3