Hidden Key for Understanding Max Weber’s Politics as a Vocation: World War I, Constitutional Reform, and the Problem of Political Responsibility (2025.06)
- Author : Chiwon Choi
- Publisher : Journal of Parliamentary Research
- Publication : The Korea Parliamentary Research Institute
- Volume : 20(1)
- Date : June 2025
Abstract: Weber is never a homo academicus. He is a homo politicus whose facade is the homo academicus. Starting from his Vorschläge zur Reform der Verfassung des Deutschen Reiches(Proposals for Constitutional Reform of German Imperial) in the context of World War I, he reveals himself as a politician of will and passion who, with the perspective of cool reason of scholar, presents his position through public lectures, newspaper articles, and political consultations against the danger of censorship. In the context of constitutional reform and parliamentary democratization, which is the most acute political issues of the time, he develops his concept of responsibility as a quality of politicians who act with political power as a means. Through this, he tries to overcome the overall loss and helplessness of politics that are prevalent in the wartime situation and to restore the meaning and value of politics. In particular, he regards the revision or abolition of Paragraph 2 of Article 9 of the Imperial Constitution as the starting point for the formation of Germany’s political will. In other words, by placing the weight of political responsibility on the parliament, he thinks, not only politics based on strong parliamentarism will be activated, but also a strong responsible cabinet that will handle armistice negotiations with the Allied Powers will be formed. The ideas contained in his political statements were never realized, but they nevertheless became an allegory for Politics as a Vocation. Today, Politics as a Vocation has become a kind of must-read for the general public, political experts and scholars, politicians etc. However few people know that the main issues contained in this work, especially the issue of responsibility as a quality of politicians, came from the context of constitutional reform and political reform raised by him in the wartime situation.