Max Weber distinguishes “domination by economic power” and “domination by authority.” What is the key difference?

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Weber’s distinction between domination by economic power and domination by authority hinges on how the ruled relate to the ruler's will and the basis of legitimacy.
Option 1: 'Economic domination occurs on a large scale, while authority-based domination is personal.' While it might seem plausible that economic domination is impersonal and authority-based domination is more personal, Weber’s key difference is not simply scale or personal vs impersonal, but the nature of legitimacy and the alignment of the ruled with the ruler's will. Therefore this statement is incomplete and misleading.
Option 2: 'Economic domination involves competing interests, while in authority-based domination, those being ruled act as if the ruler’s will is also their own.' This captures Weber’s idea that economic domination rests on material or systemic power where interests may compete and obedience is instrumental, whereas authority relies on legitimacy that makes the ruled internalize or identify with the ruler’s will, effectively treating it as their own. This distinguishes how obedience is motivated under each form.
Option 3: 'Economic domination aims at accumulating wealth for the ruler, while authority-based domination aims at enhancing the ruler’s personal prestige.' This oversimplifies and distorts the mechanisms: economic domination is not solely about wealth accumulation nor is authority primarily about prestige. Both forms can involve broader interests, legitimacy, and coercive elements beyond prestige, so this option misstates the core distinction.
Option 4: 'Economic domination is characteristic of democratic societies, while authority-based domination is characteristic of totalitarian societies.' Weber’s typology is not simply about contemporary political systems like democracies versus totalitarian regimes. He distinguishes domination types by the basis of legitimacy (economic power vs authority) rather than by the current political regime, so this option misrepresents the theoretical framework.
In sum, the second option best reflects Weber’s emphasis on how obedience is constituted: economic domination relies on interests and mechanisms beyond the ruled’s identification with the ruler, whereas authority-based domination involves the ruled acting as if the ruler’s will is their own, signaling internalized legitimacy and voluntary alignment.

SOC 110-003 Quiz 15

Max Weber distinguishes “domination by economic power” and “domination by authority.” What is the key difference?

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