Max Weber "Politics as a Vocation"

Shameka Clark

LEH 300

Max Weber “Politics as a Vocation”.

 

            Max Weber “Politics as a Vocation”, was the speech that many feel defind Weber as one of Germany’s great sociologist. The part of the speech “Politics as a Vocation” is will be discussing is as followed:

            “This is the decisive psychological quality of the politician: his ability to let realities work upon him with inner concentration and calmness. Hence his distance to things and men. ‘Lack of distance’ per se is one of the deadly sins of every politician. It is one of those qualities the breeding of which will condemn the progeny of our intellectuals to political incapacity. For the problem is simply how can warm passion and a cool sense of proportion be forged together in one and the same soul? Politics is made with the head, not with other parts of the body or soul. And yet devotion to politics, if it is not to be frivolous intellectual play but rather genuinely human conduct, can be born and nourished from passion alone.” (p. 115)

- To me the meaning of this quote is be an politician takes more than having people stand behind you and money; but to have distinct skills. These distinct skills is having the ability to be warm and compassion and having a connection with the people of the nation. This is something that not every politician has, nor can be taught; but what a leader is born with. Being able to combine this skills is what makes one a leader, a politician. I chose this quote because I believe why Mr. Obama was granted another four years in term. He has the distinct skills that prove he is a leader and politician.

 

 

Below is a list of “Weimar Political Parties” I will be summarizing them and explaining the groups the parties represented and if they were successful in their goal as a party.

-          Catholic Center Party (Zentrum, or, Z): The interest of this party was to protect the Germany’s Catholics. The Germany’s Catholics had a population of about 34%; making this party very successful.

 

-          Communist Party (KPD): This party was founded in the end of December 1918; in the midst of revolutionary chaos. (KPD) look for members of an more radical workers and a radical intellectuals, (KPD) fundamentally opposed to the existence of the Weimar Republic and had low employment rates; which made this party unsuccessful.

 

-          German Democratic Party (DDP): This party was largely made up of Protestant membership; which was drawn from the middle class. Most often from professional groups where made up of, liberal academics lawyers, and doctors. DDP supported the Weimar Republic and resistant to militarism and anti-Semitism. In the final days of this party DDP became partly successful.

 

-          German Nationalist People’s Party (DNVP): This party was generally white collar Protestant’s. It was militaristic and very resistant to republican government. This party was successful with the white collar workers.

 

 

-          German People’s Party (DVP): This party represented owners of small and middle-sized businesses and white collar workers, but wasn’t successful with the government.

-          National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP-Nazi): This party was founded in 1919, as the German Workers party. It began its move toward prominence when Hitler took over. The support for this party came from the lower middle class workers. The money that was raise for this party was being used to fund the Nazi Party. This party was successful.

-          Social Democratic Party (SPD): This party got its support from blue-collar trade union skilled workers and was not as successful as planned.