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“Essential Attributes of the Concept of Charisma”

“Essential Attributes of the Concept of Charisma”. by George P. Boss Presented by Chen-Yung Hsu. What is Charisma? . A term which in popular usage describes the personal appeal of an extraordinary individual Derived from a Greek word meaning “divine gift”

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“Essential Attributes of the Concept of Charisma”

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  1. “Essential Attributes of the Concept of Charisma” by George P. Boss Presented by Chen-Yung Hsu

  2. What is Charisma? • A term which in popular usage describes the personal appeal of an extraordinary individual • Derived from a Greek word meaning “divine gift” • Used generally to symbolize the inexplicable force of such a personality

  3. Why is identifying Charisma so hard? • The essential attributes of the concept of charisma have not been identified in a systematic way • The use of the term is often extremely ambiguous

  4. Objective • Examine the concept of charisma and to suggest that it can and should be used to designate attributes of importance in rhetorical study

  5. 3 Major Dimensions Analysis of charisma yields: 1) qualities (or traits) residing in the person 2) the perceived effect on the “listener-followers” 3) the necessities residing within the particular sociopolitical situation

  6. Charisma Phenom Attributes From rhetorical and sociopolitical perspective: 1) “gift of grace” 2) concept of the “leader-communicator” 3) “inspiring message” 4) “idolatrous follower” 5) shared history 6) high status 7) concept of “mission” 8) an important crisis 9) successful (i.e., positive) results

  7. No attribute can be presumed to exist in the charismatic situation • Each attribute is a constituent part of a whole

  8. “Gift of Grace” • Denotative base of the concept charisma • Wider than concepts of ‘good will’ or ‘trustworthiness’, partakes of ‘credibility’ • Originated from Judeo-Christian tradition, ‘endowments’ of charismata were conferred by the Holy Spirit • “One man, through the Spirit, has the gift of wise speech, while another, by the power of the same Spirit, can put the deepest knowledge into words. “

  9. From scholarly literature: Max Weber – “The term of charisma will [here] be applied to a certain quality of the individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers and qualities.”

  10. Leader-Communicator • Charismatic person not just a knowledgeable speaker, he is a leader whose audience is composed of followers • Charismatic leader seems messianic in his appeal, expected to bring ‘his people’ to ‘the promised land’ of their needs and aspirations

  11. http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/Ihaveadream.htm • No historian, in reconstructing past eras, can ignore the spoken communications of these exceptional leader-communicators and the impact of those communications on national affairs – not if he seeks a thorough understanding of the times in which the leaders lived and moved

  12. “An Inspiring Message” • Message of the charismatic leader will contain what are seen as compelling verbal and non verbal components. • Arousing language often generates and ferments situations perceived as socially and politically significant • Charisma lies not only in symbolic actions but in verbal propagation of the leader’s ideas

  13. “Idolatrous Followers” • Critical attribute of charisma, these individuals are faithful listeners, responders, and doers • Example from the Matrix

  14. “A Shared History” • Association of leader with follower is more intimate than average speaker with general audience • Must have ‘sense of community’ • Willner and Willner: charismatic leader must “draw upon and manipulate the body of myth in a given culture and the actions and values associated with those myths”

  15. “High Status” • After occupying a seat in an office with the followers’ approval, a leader gains ‘exaltation’ by his ascension

  16. “The Mission” • Sustains the charismatic, follower-leader relationship is a sense of mutual mission • Mission – usually a sociopolitical predicament that cries out for urgent resolution

  17. “An Important Crisis” and “Successful Results” • Environments usually had significant crises • Little likelihood of leader retaining charismatic aura • Success partly dependent on how effectively a leader uses power to defeat enemies and help adherents

  18. Conclusion Talcott Parsons: “Charisma is not a metaphysical entity, but a strictly observable quality of men and things in relation to human acts and attitudes”

  19. Yoda teaching Luke Morpheus teaching Neo

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