Unjustified Domination (Typology of the City)

Author: Max Weber (German), translated by Kang Le, Jian Huimei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Modern society is a "civil society," and the concept of "citizenship" is closely tied to that of "citizens" in Western historiography. In the development of Western civil society, the emergence of urban communities was undoubtedly a pivotal turning point in Weber's view. However, the formation of such communities was built upon a break from traditional constraints—such as kinship ties, foreign political domination, etc. Weber used the term "illegitimate domination" to describe Western cities precisely to highlight the autonomy of their ruling power and the "usurpative" nature of its detachment from tradition. The development of such a civil society is essential background knowledge for readers who wish to understand modern citizenship. This book was originally the 7th section of Chapter 9, "Sociology of Domination," in Weber's Economy and Society (Volume 2). The original title was: "Illegitimate Domination (Typology of the City)," in contrast to the first six sections that discussed "Legitimate Domination." Due to length constraints, the first six sections were included in Sociology of Domination, while this section stands alone as the present book.