Weber: Political Writings Literary Elements

Philosophy, Lectures.

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: Munich in 1918. “The Nation State and Economic Policy”: Freiburg in 1885.

Weber is the narrator in his essays. He employs the first-person viewpoint in “The Profession and Vocation of Politics.”

Philosophical and instructive.

Politicians are the main subjects in “The Profession and Vocation of politics’. W Forester is the antagonist. In “The Nation State and Economic Policy,” the main subjects comprise "Germans and, Slavs, Poles." Besides, Weber alludes to peasants versus bourgeoisie and superior races versus the inferior races.

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: Determination of whether politics is just a profession or a vocation.

“The Nation State and Economic Policy”: The Germans and Poles’ competition of economic resources, particularly land.

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: The climax would be attained through the unification of "the ethic of conviction with the ethic of responsibility."

“The Nation State and Economic Policy”: Weber argues that the attainment of "universal happiness” would result in the “balance of pleasure.”

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: Weber predicts that, in the context of socialism, a revolution would result in war.

“The Nation State and Economic Policy”: Weber makes a prediction regarding German's political future, which will require the German bourgeoisie to be adequately educated.

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: Weber understates God's omnipotence due to inconsistencies: "either than power is not all-powerful or it is not benevolent."

“The Nation State and Economic Policy”: Weber understates the extent of the “German working class’” political maturity.

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: Weber alludes to socialism, metaphysics, rationalism, religion, and literature (Dostoyevsky).

“The Nation State and Economic Policy”: Weber alludes to ethics, economics, and race.

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: Religious ethics contribute to the establishment of orderly societies.

“The Nation State and Economic Policy”: Race and social class are predominant determinants of land ownership. Economic struggles imperil the lower classes and races deemed to be inferior to the bourgeoisie.

Weber alludes to agri-business related crises: “The forced growth of sugar-beet cultivation and the unprofitability of cereal production for the market are parallel developments pulling in the same direction.”

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: Weber summarizes the paradox of theodicy: “the development of all the religions in the world rests, after all, on the fact that the opposite is true.” The paradox is founded on the divergence between God’s benevolence and the irrational world that he created.

“The Nation State and Economic Policy”: Weber explores the paradox of economic policies: “The circumstance that a weaker hand took over the helm of the ship from a stronger one.” Ordinarily, it would have been the stronger hand that had an edge in controlling the ship. The paradox shows how the German peasants are colonized by the bourgeoisie (who take most fertile soils.)

These two titles, "The Profession and Vocation of Politics" and “The Nation State and Economic Policy,” employ parallel structures. Each one commences with the article "the" and has the conjunction "and " at the middle.

“The Profession and Vocation of Politics”: In the context of Hinduism, 'dharma' refers to an “ethical law” that enhances orderliness and rightness in life.

“The Nation State and Economic Policy”: Soil denotes land. 'Kampf' denotes economic skirmishes.

N/A