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Political Leadership, Rhetoric, and Culture: Aristotle Good, Max Weber Bad

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Leadership and the Labour Party

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership ((PSPL))

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Abstract

This chapter is the theory chapter, and examines the ‘discursive’ and the ‘imagined’ (the two constitute the architecture and mechanics of persona and performance), and argues that these interact all the time. Their analytical separation will facilitate methodological and conceptual clarity. I adapt the Aristotelian categories of ethos, pathos, and logos to contemporary purpose. I also argue against Weber and the notion of charismatic leadership, and argue that leadership is a performed event that is part of and contributes to a narrative. I suggest a diagram for the understanding of ‘performance’ and its conditions (one of them being narrative itself). The diagram also acts as a template for analysis.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For example ‘After Miliband’ conference 5 June 2015, University College Oxford.

  2. 2.

    This was the view of Marc Stears, Miliband’s special advisor. See ‘After Miliband’ Conference, 5 June 2015, University College Oxford.

  3. 3.

    Or that he lacked ‘charisma’, a near-universally held view.

  4. 4.

    For a wider theoretical discussion of this see J. Gaffney (2016).

  5. 5.

    ‘Charisma’ soll eine als ausseralltäglich (ursprünglich, sowohl bei Propheten wie bei therapeutischen wie bei Rechts-Weisen wie bei Jagdführern wie bei Kriegshelden: als magisch bedingt) geltende Qualität einer Persönlichkeit heissen, um derentwillen sie als mit übernatürlichen oder übermenschlichen oder mindestens spezifisch ausseralltäglichen, nicht jedem andern zugänglichen Kräften oder Eigenschaften oder als gottgesandt oder als vorbildlich und deshalb als ‘Führer’ gewertet wird. Wie die betreffende Qualität von irgendeinem ethischen, ästhetischen oder sonstigen Standpunkt aus ‘objektiv’ richtig zu bewerten sein würde, ist natürlich dabei begrifflich völlig gleichgültig: darauf allein, wie sie tatsächlich von charismatisch Beherrschten, den ‘Anhängern’, bewertet wird, kommt es an. (M. Weber (1964) Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, vol. 1, Köln: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, p. 179)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aston University, Birmingham, UK

    John Gaffney (Professor of Politics)

Authors
  1. John Gaffney
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Gaffney, J. (2017). Political Leadership, Rhetoric, and Culture: Aristotle Good, Max Weber Bad. In: Leadership and the Labour Party. Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50498-2_1

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