Politics means striving to share power or striving to influence

Hear the voice of Max Weber, philosopher and prophet of modern society, who declared: “Politics means striving to share power or striving to influence the distribution of power, either among states or among groups within a state.” These words are not spoken in jest nor in passing—they are a definition, sharp as a sword, forged from long reflection on the nature of human struggle. For what is politics, if not the eternal contest over power—who shall hold it, who shall wield it, who shall be subject to it, and how it shall be divided among the many?

The origin of this truth lies in the heart of history itself. From the dawn of civilization, men and women have gathered in tribes, cities, and nations, and in each gathering the question has arisen: who decides, who commands, who rules? Weber, in studying the forces that shape society, stripped away illusions and named politics for what it is—the struggle over power. Not morality, not poetry, not ceremony alone, but power: its sharing, its withholding, its shaping, its division. To understand politics is to understand this eternal striving.

Consider the tale of the American Revolution. The colonies, bound under the crown of Britain, sought not only freedom of conscience or the dignity of trade, but above all the right to influence the distribution of power. Taxation without representation was not merely an economic burden, but a denial of voice in the great contest. When the Declaration of Independence was signed, it was not only a moral claim, but a political one: the right of a people to claim their share of power among the nations of the earth.

And think also of the struggles within nations, where groups long silenced rise to demand their share. In the twentieth century, the civil rights movement in America was not merely a cry for kindness, but a demand for power—the power to vote, the power to shape laws, the power to walk in dignity without the yoke of oppression. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke with moral fire, but beneath that fire was Weber’s truth: politics is the striving to influence power’s distribution, to reshape society so that justice might dwell in its foundations.

Weber’s words are also cautionary. For to name politics as the struggle for power is to acknowledge its harshness. It is not always noble, it is not always pure. Those who enter this arena must be prepared to contend with ambition, rivalry, compromise, and sometimes betrayal. Yet this does not make politics evil; it makes it human. Power, after all, is not a thing to be abolished, but a force to be harnessed. Like fire, it can destroy, but it can also warm and illuminate when guided by wisdom.

O seeker, the lesson is this: do not turn away from politics in disgust, thinking it too tainted, nor approach it with naïve illusions of purity. See it for what it is: the contest over power. If you would see justice rise, then you must learn to shape this power, to join in the striving, not as a tyrant seeking domination, but as a steward seeking balance. To abandon politics is to abandon influence, and to abandon influence is to surrender your fate to others.

And what actions must you take? Begin where you stand. In your community, in your workplace, in your nation, learn how power is shared, and do not remain silent. Vote, speak, organize, question. Demand that power be distributed justly, that it not remain the treasure of the few while the many languish. And in your personal life, remember that politics is not only for statesmen, but for all who live in society—whenever power is divided or contested, you are already in the realm of politics.

Thus remember Weber’s teaching: politics means striving to share power or striving to influence its distribution. This is not cynicism, but clarity. For only by understanding the true nature of politics can we hope to wield it wisely. Power will always exist—it is the duty of the just to ensure it is shared, the duty of the wise to ensure it is guided, and the duty of the brave to enter the arena and contend for the good of all.