Ashley Powers
September 21, 2012
Blog 3: Legitimate Authority
Authority is something that we the people have in order to keep us under some sort of norm. Many fear authority and take authority as something that keeps them acting a certain way. Weber discusses three main types of authority in his work: traditional authority, legal rational authority, and charismatic authority. I feel as though before I can answer the question “What makes authority legitimate?” I need to explain what the three main types of authority are according to Weber. Traditional authority is something that can be described as your moral code. Traditional authority is passed down from generation to generation by family members that justifies what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable behavior. Each individuals set of rules enforced by traditional authority is different, because each individuals traditions may differ. Traditional authority really frames why people conduct themselves the way they do. Traditional authority could include someone’s religion for instance. People give religious officials the authority to tell them what to believe and how to live. Mormonism allows the marriage of a man with multiple wives, but according to society in the U.S. it is against our laws or as Weber defines it as legal rational authority.
Legal rational authority is produced more so over an entire society verses traditional authority which is just enforced by a particular community. Legal rational authority is like many of our laws that are established through politics. Legal rational authority figures shape our society as a whole. People follow what is said by a doctor, a police officer, firefighter, judge, and many others because society labels them as their most intelligent enforcers. Legal rational authority is portrayed in our legal system as well; government officials are supposed to be highly educated and knowledgeable about nationwide issues. If these people who held legal rational authority over others didn’t have higher knowledge, people would be less likely to abide by the rules legal rational authorities present. There is a sort of hierarchy built within societies and communities where people put these officials at a higher pedestal of authority.
Charismatic authority includes the accountability we give famous people, political candidates, and community leaders. Famous people are known to get away with crimes at a higher rate than non-famous people simply because people sort of worship them. Politicians live above norm laws because they make said laws. They are voted into power because they are desirable and charismatic. Community leaders are productive due to their work to make the community better. People put them on a pedestal and believe them due to their involvement. If someone from the outside were to try to come in and make changes, no one would just follow them. They would have to establish themselves within the community and make themselves desirable.
Authority is made legitimate by the people that follow it. Authority varies by traditional authority, legal rational authority, and charismatic authority. Others that do not lie on the authority sector are often isolated from the group they associate with. For example, legal isolation results from jail time, while traditional isolation results from being estranged from ones family. If authorities should ever contradict with each other, then the legal rational authority always wins overall and the legal rational authority is built off of our charismatic authority officials in some instances. On occasion charismatic authority has rained over legal rational authority by collectively agreeing as a result of protests or ‘rebellion’. Much like the teachers strike, laws were established that the teachers were unable to technically strike unless it dealt with money. Even though we are given the right of freedom of speech by legal rational authority, charismatic authority overrode the legal rational authority to the teacher’s right to protest. So socially speaking there is a hierarchy amongst the three authorities.
September 21, 2012
Blog 3: Legitimate Authority
Authority is something that we the people have in order to keep us under some sort of norm. Many fear authority and take authority as something that keeps them acting a certain way. Weber discusses three main types of authority in his work: traditional authority, legal rational authority, and charismatic authority. I feel as though before I can answer the question “What makes authority legitimate?” I need to explain what the three main types of authority are according to Weber. Traditional authority is something that can be described as your moral code. Traditional authority is passed down from generation to generation by family members that justifies what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable behavior. Each individuals set of rules enforced by traditional authority is different, because each individuals traditions may differ. Traditional authority really frames why people conduct themselves the way they do. Traditional authority could include someone’s religion for instance. People give religious officials the authority to tell them what to believe and how to live. Mormonism allows the marriage of a man with multiple wives, but according to society in the U.S. it is against our laws or as Weber defines it as legal rational authority.
Legal rational authority is produced more so over an entire society verses traditional authority which is just enforced by a particular community. Legal rational authority is like many of our laws that are established through politics. Legal rational authority figures shape our society as a whole. People follow what is said by a doctor, a police officer, firefighter, judge, and many others because society labels them as their most intelligent enforcers. Legal rational authority is portrayed in our legal system as well; government officials are supposed to be highly educated and knowledgeable about nationwide issues. If these people who held legal rational authority over others didn’t have higher knowledge, people would be less likely to abide by the rules legal rational authorities present. There is a sort of hierarchy built within societies and communities where people put these officials at a higher pedestal of authority.
Charismatic authority includes the accountability we give famous people, political candidates, and community leaders. Famous people are known to get away with crimes at a higher rate than non-famous people simply because people sort of worship them. Politicians live above norm laws because they make said laws. They are voted into power because they are desirable and charismatic. Community leaders are productive due to their work to make the community better. People put them on a pedestal and believe them due to their involvement. If someone from the outside were to try to come in and make changes, no one would just follow them. They would have to establish themselves within the community and make themselves desirable.
Authority is made legitimate by the people that follow it. Authority varies by traditional authority, legal rational authority, and charismatic authority. Others that do not lie on the authority sector are often isolated from the group they associate with. For example, legal isolation results from jail time, while traditional isolation results from being estranged from ones family. If authorities should ever contradict with each other, then the legal rational authority always wins overall and the legal rational authority is built off of our charismatic authority officials in some instances. On occasion charismatic authority has rained over legal rational authority by collectively agreeing as a result of protests or ‘rebellion’. Much like the teachers strike, laws were established that the teachers were unable to technically strike unless it dealt with money. Even though we are given the right of freedom of speech by legal rational authority, charismatic authority overrode the legal rational authority to the teacher’s right to protest. So socially speaking there is a hierarchy amongst the three authorities.