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Felson, Marcus --- "Corruption in the Broad Sweep of History" [2011] ELECD 989; in Graycar, Adam; Smith, G. Russell (eds), "Handbook of Global Research and Practice in Corruption" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: Handbook of Global Research and Practice in Corruption

Editor(s): Graycar, Adam; Smith, G. Russell

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781849805018

Section: Chapter 2

Section Title: Corruption in the Broad Sweep of History

Author(s): Felson, Marcus

Number of pages: 6

Extract:

2 Corruption in the broad sweep of history
Marcus Felson


Corruption is a product of the interplay between (a) primary human
imperatives and (b) an economic and social system trying to control and
channel those imperatives. Primary human imperatives include both
looking after one's personal interests and meeting social commitments to
friends and relatives. A strong tension is inherent between these primary
human imperatives and the larger economic and social system. That
tension is strongest with the modern form of economic organization.
Hence corruption, despite its ancient presence, becomes especially relevant
in a modern world. Although corruption becomes especially an issue as
developing nations move towards a modern world, we should not assume
that the tension will go away once they are developed.
Those aware of Max Weber (1947 [1904]) will immediately recognize
the origins of the current argument in his description and analysis of
the broad sweep of economic and social history. Weber was perhaps the
greatest historical theorist of economic and social life. On the one hand,
he gathered vast detail as he studied and described each society. On the
other hand, Weber summarized those details within a very general ana-
lytical framework. Each society has a prevalent authority system that
governs its behaviour, and that authority system is central for under-
standing it. Weber synthesized information about the broad sweep of
economic and social history with three authority systems: (a) traditional,
(b) patrimonial, and (c) rational-legal. This chapter explains his general
categories, then shows why ...