The concept of charisma originated with Rudolf Sohm, not Max Weber
Evidence
The notion of “charisma” as a quality which causes leaders to be followed in spite of their lack of legitimate or institutional authority derives in fact not from Michels but from Max Weber, who in turn took it from the jurist and church historian Rudolf Sohm. — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 2725
Categorization
- DEFINE: Useful genealogy of a core concept: charisma defined as a quality compelling followership without legitimate or institutional authority.
- XREF: Connects to Weber’s typology of legitimate domination — charismatic vs. traditional vs. legal-rational authority — a vocabulary the Islamophobia field inherits for analyzing leaders who command followership outside institutions. — connects to: Weber’s scheme routes all institutions from traditional to rationalized via charisma — Fredric Jameson, The Political Unconscious, 6131
Related
- Charismatic authority erodes when a leader fails to benefit followers (similarity 0.81)
- Charisma is conferred on leaders by followers rather than held as a trait (similarity 0.80)