Which concept did Weber use to analyse the forms of legitimate domination? (UPSC PYQ)

Click here to join telegram group

Max Weber, one of the founding figures of sociology, introduced the concept of “legitimate domination” as part of his broader theory of authority and power in society. The key concept that he used to analyze forms of legitimate domination is known as “Herrschaft”, a German term often translated as “authority” or “domination”.

Herrschaft: Authority as Legitimate Domination

Weber made a crucial distinction between power (Macht) and domination (Herrschaft).

Power refers to the ability to impose one’s will despite resistance.
Domination, on the other hand, is legitimate power — it is accepted as rightful by those who are subject to it.

This acceptance or legitimacy is central to Weber’s theory of authority.

Typology of Legitimate Domination

Weber identified three ideal types of legitimate domination, each rooted in a different source of legitimacy. These types are ideal constructs — not found in pure form in reality but useful for analytical comparison.

1. Traditional Authority

Basis: Sanctity of age-old customs, traditions, and lineage.
Legitimacy Source: Belief in the sacredness of inherited status and long-established practices.
Examples: Monarchies, feudal lords, tribal chiefs.
Administrative Structure: Patrimonial or household-based authority (e.g., the rule of a king over his subjects, father over his family).

Illustration: In a feudal society, the vassal obeys the lord because “it has always been so.”

2. Charismatic Authority

Basis: Personal magnetism, extraordinary qualities of the leader.
Legitimacy Source: Devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism, or exemplary character of a person.
Examples: Prophets, revolutionaries, cult leaders.
Administrative Structure: Informal and unstable, often based on personal loyalty rather than rules.

Illustration: Followers of Mahatma Gandhi or Joan of Arc obeyed because of perceived divine or heroic calling.

Note: Weber emphasized that charismatic authority is inherently unstable and often undergoes routinization, evolving into either traditional or legal-rational forms over time.

3. Legal-Rational Authority

Basis: Legality of enacted rules and the right of those elevated under such rules to issue commands.
Legitimacy Source: Belief in the legality of rules and in the competence of the authorities who enact and enforce them.
Examples: Bureaucracies, modern democratic states.
Administrative Structure: Formal, hierarchical, rule-bound.

Illustration: A civil servant follows orders not out of personal loyalty, but because it is stipulated in official procedures.

Weber’s Methodological Approach

Weber used ideal types to construct these categories. An ideal type is not a moral ideal but a conceptual tool that isolates certain essential features to understand and compare real-world cases.

Weber also applied his theory of domination in his studies of the state, famously defining the modern state as a “human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.”

Significance of the Concept

Helps us understand why people obey authority — not merely out of coercion, but because they believe it is right to do so.
Forms the foundation of modern political sociology and public administration studies.
Shows how the structure of domination evolves over time, especially in processes of modernization and bureaucratization.

Conclusion

Weber’s concept of Herrschaft (legitimate domination) is central to his analysis of power and authority. By identifying the three pure types of authority — traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational — he provided a systematic framework to understand the legitimacy behind rule and governance in both historical and modern contexts. This conceptual distinction remains one of Weber’s most influential contributions to sociology and political science.