Modern Political Theory Reading Guide

POL264 Modern Political Theory MAX WEBER: ON BUREAUCRACY

John Kilcullen

Macquarie University
Copyright (c) 1996, R.J. Kilcullen.

See
Marx on Capitalism
Reading Guide 8: Max Weber

'GM' refers to H.H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills (trans. and ed.), From Max Weber (New York, 1946) (H/33/.W36).

'SEO' refers to Max Weber, The Theory of Social and Economic Organization, tr. Henderson and Parsons (New York, 1947) ((HB/175/.W364).

'ES' refers to Max Weber, Economy and Society, ed. G. Roth and C. Wittich (New York, 1968) (HM/57/.W342).

'Beetham' refers to David Beetham, Max Weber and the Theory of Modern Politics (London, 1974) (JA/76/.B37).

In this lecture I want to look at what Weber says about bureaucracy, in
This is why is has been adopted by capitalistic firms, and in every institution. An institution served by a bureaucracy will out-perform its competitors, and prevail in the struggle for survival: bureaucracy has spread and continues to spread because of its survival value for social institutions. 'When those subject to bureaucratic control seek to escape the influence of the existing bureaucratic apparatus, this is normally possible only by creating an organization of their own which is equally subject to the process of bureaucratization', GM, p. 338 - because they can't beat a bureaucracy except with the aid of another one. (This is the theme of the book on Political Parties by Weber's protege Roberto Michels; his book shows how the Marxist Social Democratic Party, despite its belief in internal democracy, had become thoroughly bureaucratized and undemocratic. Later Trotsky explained Stalinism as a 'bureaucratic deformation' of Marxism.) Just as Adam Smith's pin makers who divide their labour will make more pins and sell them more cheaply than their old-fashioned competitors, and will drive them out of the market, so an army with a general staff, a government with a bureaucracy, a pope with a chancery, a firm with an efficient office, will prevail over their
1415, 1450) to attain power; political leaders must be selected through competitive struggle. They will enter parliament only if that is the way to real power; see ES, pp.1409, 1414, 1420-1, 1450. The real leader's task is not merely to compromise interests as if politics were like a market place, but to take a stand on issues that transcend material interests; see Beetham, pp.222-6, 144-7. A person is more likely to care about such issues, and be willing to sacrifice office to conviction, if he is financially independent - he must live 'for', not 'off' politics; see ES, pp.1427, 1448, and GM