Max Weber's Three Types of Authority

The Paradox of Obedience: La Boétie's Question

In 1548, Étienne de la Boétie wrote the influential short work, Discourse on Voluntary Servitude. In this text, he posed a fundamental question regarding political power:

Why do the members of a society, who are many, obey those who govern, who are one or a small group?

La Boétie's inquiry is intrinsically linked to the concept of legitimation. Citizens voluntarily obey the State when they consider its authority to be legitimate. However, various types of legitimation exist, and some are inherently irrational.

Democracy, conversely, aspires to achieve rational legitimation, presenting itself as the result of an implicit agreement or social contract among its citizens.

Max Weber's Models of Political Legitimacy

According to the renowned sociologist and philosopher Max Weber, there are three main ways of legitimizing power:

1. Traditional Authority

• Power is legitimized by resorting to tradition. Certain families, dynasties, or classes have held power for so long that it seems natural and inevitable that they should continue to do so.
• This type of authority is not based on rational elements, such as the capacity or competence of the ruler, but rather on the belief in its hereditary or divine character.
• It is difficult to argue rationally for or against this kind of authority.

Examples: Dynastic empires and monarchies.

2. Charismatic Authority

• Power is legitimized by means of the charisma of the ruler—a quality or talent that makes certain individuals especially gifted at attracting and mobilizing other people.
• Charismatic legitimation is similar to the traditional type, but it differs in that this capacity is considered personal and not hereditary.
• The prestige of these leaders does not have an exclusively rational explanation; it is commonly based on the emotions and feelings they provoke.
• This form of authority is usually brief, as it is typical of revolutionary movements or processes involving abrupt social transformations.

Examples: Revolutionary leaders (e.g., Che Guevara, Simón Bolívar), Hitler, and Franco.

3. Rational-Legal Authority

• Power is legitimized by resorting to law. Law confers authority because it emanates from the popular will; that is, it has been democratically established.
• The State holds legitimate power because it is the result of an agreement among citizens through which they commit to complying with the law.
• It is the only type of fully rational authority and, therefore, it allows for arguments both for and against its structure and implementation.

Examples: Current democracies and Athenian democracy.