ABSTRACT
This chapter presents and analyses Max Weber’s conception of modern democracy in the large scope of his œuvre. It does so by (1) considering his narrative of modernity and the conception of history it stems from; (2) examining his notions of power, domination and authority, especially with regard to the ideal types of legitimate rule developed in his sociology; (3) assessing his positions in the context of the democratic reconstruction of German politics in the aftermath of the First World War. Weber’s relevance, we submit, derives from the fact that he was one of the first champions of modern democracy who recognized the paradoxes and ambiguities which lie at the core of the modern democratic project. Even if, in hindsight, his elitist account appears problematic and insufficient in many respects, Weber’s thought provides fundamental elements for a discussion of democratic legitimacy that takes the ambivalences of modern age seriously.
