In literary works by Gaetano Mosca and Max Weber, the idea of “power” can be extracted and further understood by examining related notions of power such as the “ruling class” and “legitimate domination” presented in them respectively. In particular, through the analysis of power, the distinction between individual and collective contexts of power becomes evident. That is, a difference in the idea of power is apparent when in the hands of one versus many. In both Mosca and Weber, the general meaning of power itself is similar, however, in their discussions the applications of individual and collective power diverge. In “The Ruling Class,” Mosca begins by stating that in all civilized societies, people are divided into two classes, “a class that rules and a class that is ruled” (Mosca 50). Given his characterization of each class, collective power can be described by the ruling class and individual power by the ruled. On the other hand, while discussing different forms of political domination, in Weber’s “Charisma and its Transformations,” collective power is associated with the public, while individual power with the leader. In “Bureaucracy” however, this distinction between collective and individual power is less defined.To begin with, power presented in Mosca and Weber can be generally defined as an ability possessed by a person or group of people to influence others. In addition, putting aside definitions of power defined by previous authors such as Hobbes and Blau, power can be described as the ability to possess and preserve a value or tradition represented at the time. Expanding on this idea, individual and collective power, that is, power in the hands of one or many, are reflected in different social groups illustrated in Mosca and Weber’s writings.In Mosca’s “The Ruling Class,” the ruling class can be assoc...
