There are several ways to define ‘power’. Max Weber argued that an individual or group has power when they are able to get what they want despite opposition from other people. In Weber’s view, we exercise power over someone when we influence them – even if this is against their conscience (thus causing them moral strain) or against their will.

Weber said power may be based on either coercion or authority.

Coercive Power

We obey an individual or group because we feel we have no choice; we are forced into obeying against our will. Coercive power includes the threat or actual use of physical violence or torture. Eg: kidnappers exercise coercive power when they demand a ransom and receive payment in exchange for releasing hostages.

Authoritative Power

This is when we willingly obey someone because we think it is the right thing to do – even if we have reservations about what we are being instructed to do, thereby resulting in moral strain.

Weber identified 3 types of authority:-

· Traditional Authority – based on custom and tradition. We accept the authority of an individual or group because it is customary for us to do so. Eg: in Britain the monarch exercises authority based on tradition. (This works off a cultural vMEME harmonic of PURPLE and BLUE.)

· Legal-Rational Authority – we obey an individual because of the position they hold. Eg: the prime minister in the UK or the president in the United States. In the workplace, office workers accept the office manager’s authority to supervise their work because that is set out in the job description and/or conditions of employment. (This is the cultural effect of the BLUE vMEME dominating.)

· Charismatic Authority – we are motivated to obey an individual because we believe they have extraordinary personal qualities which inspire us. (This effect results from the dispositional qualities of the individual - but the zeitgeist (the ‘spirit of the time’) needs to be right in that people are ready to be led by a charismatic individual.
Mahatma Gandhi is an example of a religious/spiritual leader who used used his charismatic authority to lead India’s struggle for independence from Britain after World War II.
Nelson Mandela is an example of a political leader who used his charismatic authority to lead a large popular movement (focused on the African National Congress) against Apartheid in South Africa. (See also Don Beck & South Africa.)

As his country’s democratically-elected president (1994-1999), Mandela exercised both legal-rational and charismatic authority.

Class and Power

Marxists argue that power is closely linked to social class relationships. Power is held by the bourgeoisie who use their power to exploit the working class.

This page is discussed in the Blog post ‘The Nature of Power’.