Programma

course's title
Critical reading of M. Weber, Politik als Beruf.

course's goal
Introducing students to one of the most important and successfull sociological text.

course's hours
Wednesdnay ... to ... room ... polo didattico
Thursday ... to ... room ... polo didattico

cours's starting day ... March 2025

Testi Adottati

exam texts
The exam interview will focus on the reading and critical discussion of passages from the text Politics as a profession by Max Weber.
Preparation for the exam requires, at least, the study of the following texts ("exam program").
1. Max Weber's two lectures Science as a profession and Politics as a profession, in the original language or in any of the many translations available in Italian.
2. The following introductions to Politics as a Profession:
to. Cavalli L., Introduction: The vocation of politics, in M. Weber, Politics as a profession, Armando, Rome 2010;
b. Cacciari M., Introduction, in M. Weber, Intellectual work as a profession, Mondadori 2018;
c. Cacciari M., The work of the spirit, Adelphi, Milan 2020.
3. A monograph of your choice dedicated to the entire work of Max Weber or the chapter dedicated to Max Weber in a manual of the history of sociology.

Modalità Erogazione

Methods of carrying out the course Apart from the first and last lesson, the course will take place in the following way. In the Thursday lesson some paragraphs of Politics as a profession will be read. In the lesson on the following Wednesday, those same paragraphs will be subject to critical rereading and discussion. Identification and numbering of the paragraphs of Politics as a profession [PaB]. The edition that was held in mind is: Max Weber, Politics as a profession, introduction by Luciano Cavalli, Armando editore, Rome, 2010. The portion of the text selected should be sufficient to identify the paragraphs also in the other recent Italian editions in circulation. n. paragraph / beginning of paragraph 1 The conference I am going to give you at your request will end up disappointing you in several ways. 2 What do we mean by politics? The concept is extraordinarily broad and embracing 3 But from a sociological point of view what is a "political" association 4 In its essence, this also corresponds to linguistic usage. 5 The State is, like the political associations that historically preceded it, 6a As for the intrinsic justifications, then the reasons of legitimacy 6b To tell the truth, pure types are rarely encountered in reality. 7 But these politicians by virtue of their "vocation", in the truest sense of the word, 8 Every domain area that requires continuity of administration needs, on the one hand, 9 The top management, which in their outward appearance represent the political exercise of dominion, 10 To maintain power based on strength, one needs certain external material goods, 11 A political association in which the material means of the administration are in total possession 12 But everywhere, going back to the earliest political formations, we also find the management of the lord through people directly dependent on him 13 Everywhere, the development of the modern state begins when, on the part of the prince, 14 Now, in the course of this political expropriation process, 15 Before starting to talk about it more closely, it is appropriate to clarify unequivocally, in all respects, the factual circumstances 16 There are two ways of making politics your profession. 17 The leadership of a state or a party through people who (in the economic sense of the word) live exclusively for politics and not for politics, 18 But, faced with this, there is the evolution of the modern bureaucracy in a class of intellectual workers 19a Simultaneously with the rise of specialized bureaucracy, it was also accomplished, albeit through fairly imperceptible passages, 19b The need for a formally unitary direction of the entire policy 20 The evolution of politics into an "activity" that required training in the struggle 21 In a very similar way it happens in the administration of a private company: 22 We are rather interested in the typical characteristics of professional politicians, 23 As we have seen, in the past, "professional politicians" 24 Against orders, the prince relied on politically useful categories not related to them. 25 A second category of this kind was constituted by literati with a humanistic background. 26 The third category was that of the court nobility. 27 The fourth category was a specific English product. 28 A fifth category was typical of the West, especially on the European continent 29 The importance of lawyers in Western politics since the birth of parties is not accidental. 30 The real official, and this criterion is decisive for judging our past regime, 31 The "demagogue" is, from the time of the constitutional state and above all from the time of democracy, 32 It would be quite impossible, within the limits of this lecture, to provide even a simple reference to 33 In bourgeois parties, the possibility of ascent to political power through this path was on the whole 34 But up to now it was the big capitalist trusts of the press, which had mainly taken over 35 The journalist as a type of professional politician can look to the past anyway already 36 In all political associations of a certain size, that is, that go outside the sphere and sphere of competence 37 These parties too, in the usual meaning by which we understand them, were first of all, for example in England, 38 The interest of parliamentarians in the possibility of interlocal electoral compromises and in the effectiveness of 39 In stark contrast to this idyllic situation of the dominion exercised by the circles of notables and 40 The followers of the party, above all its officials and entrepreneurs, 41 Such a form imposed itself to a very different extent and through a continuous latent conflict with local notables 42 England: party organization was here until 1868 43 Thus the organization

Modalità Frequenza

Optional

Modalità Valutazione

Exam dates: summer session I session ... June 2025 9.30 am classroom ... II session ... June 2025 9.30 am classroom ... autumn session I session ... September 2025 9.30 am classroom ... II session ... September 2025 9.30 am classroom ... winter session I session ... January 2026 9.30 am classroom ... II session ... January 2026 9.30 am classroom ...