QUOTE

Power is the ability to carry out one’s will despite resistance.

--Max Weber,
1922, posthumously, edited by Marianne Weber

Authority

Mike's Takeaway:

By distinguishing power from authority, Weber showed that modern systems govern through legitimacy rather than force. When legitimacy is no longer anchored to truth and accountability, authority does not disappear: it hardens into authoritarianism.

Quote context: Primarily 1910–1914 (unfinished manuscript)

Source: Economy and Society (Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft)

That shortened definition comes from Max Weber. A more accurate translation from the original German is:

“Power is the probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance.”

Weber distinguished power from authority. Power is the ability to impose one’s will; authority is power that is perceived as legitimate and therefore obeyed without constant force. This distinction explains why modern institutions rely less on coercion and more on rules, offices, and procedures—and why obedience can feel responsible even when judgment is no longer engaged.

Analysis By Michael Alan Prestwood

02 Feb 2026

Published 28 minutes ago.

Updated 1 week ago.

Michael Alan Prestwood
Author & Natural Philosopher

Prestwood writes on science-first philosophy, with particular attention to the convergence of disciplines. Drawing on his TST Framework, his work emphasizes rational inquiry grounded in empirical observation while engaging questions at the edges of established knowledge. With TouchstoneTruth positioned as a living touchstone, this work aims to contribute reliable, evolving analysis in an emerging AI era where the credibility of information is increasingly contested.