Weber: Political Writings Metaphors and Similes

Weber: Political Writings Metaphors and Similes

‘Gift of Grace’ - “The Profession and Vocation of Politics”

‘Gift of grace’ is metaphorical of hypnotic charisma: “There is the authority of the exceptional, personal ‘gift of grace’, or charisma, the entirely personal devotion to, and personal trust in, revelations , heroism, or other qualities of leadership in an individual.” The aspects which render a politician enigmatic are mostly distinctive. Through charisma, a politician appeals to the subjects’ sense of allegiance; outright devotion elevates the politician to the echelon of a public hero.

‘Veil of illusions’ - “The Nation State and Economic Policy”

Weber observes, “Today we are more sober, and it behoves us to try to lift the veil of illusions which hides from us the position of our generation within the historical development of the fatherland.” The allegorical veil signifies political naivety which is contributory to wrong deductions regarding Germany’s political realizations. Politically naive Germans are ignorant of the integral deficiencies that have momentously backed pervasive politically-related classism in Germany. ‘Lifting the veil’ is identical with disabling political obliviousness.

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