Abstracts

Max Weber Studies Vol. 2 No. 1 (November 2001): 103-113

Notes and Queries: On Weber's Reception of Michels

Sandro Segre

This paper calls attention to a paradox concerning Weber’s reception of Michels. Despite Weber’s scholarly interest in Michels’ work, and personal esteem of Michels as a person, no quotations of Michels’ work may be found in Weber’s writings, except his private correspondence. Explaining this paradox has involved an analysis of Weber’s correspondence with Michels. This analysis has shown that in his correspondence Weber urged Michels to undertake a major research program on the organizational structure of the modern political parties, and on the values and ideals of the electorate and the representatives of the German Social Democratic Party and trade unions. Michels’ major work on the sociology of the modern political party, when it finally came out, was found by Weber of very limited use from the vantage point of his ultimate theoretical goal, namely, to shed light on the reciprocal influences between ideals and organization in a modern party. No matter how much Weber thought of Michels as an expert on the socialist parties and movements, while pursuing his own theoretical inquiries Weber had therefore no reason for quoting Michels’ work.