在政治事務中，權力與倫理應當有什麼樣的區別與關聯？乃是一個至為重要的問題。德國思想家韋伯（Max Weber , 1864-1920）對政治事務的思考，亦特別著重於此。他的基本觀點是：人對人的權力宰制無以取消，亦即整個社會徹底的倫理化乃是不可能的，在此限制之下，政治行動及制度的唯一倫理可能性在於責任；而政治事務要不淪為純然的權力爭奪而墮入虛無，亦唯有憑藉責任倫理來提昇。於是責任倫理不僅是唯一可能的政治倫理，亦是必要的政治倫理。此即為本文的主要論題所在。為突顯韋伯上述觀點，本文將韋伯置於左抗馬克思，右拒尼采的立場來考察；馬克思可視為從「倫理」的立場對「權力」的最猛烈批判，而尼采則可看做從「權力」的角度對「倫理」的最徹底顛覆，他們共同構成了西方文明最嚴重的威脅。韋伯處此左右夾擊之中，則要求西方現代人做一個政治上成熟的人，採取責任倫理的實踐立場，並以此為唯一可能且必要的生存之道。
本文分為六章。第一章緒論，指出研究目的與範圍，並對主題所在之脈絡及論述架構做一說明。第二章討論兩個先決問題：其一，韋伯與政治思想的關係；其二，韋伯與馬克思及尼采的關係，以做為下面論述的準備。第三、四章以「馬克思—韋伯—尼采」這一對比為基本架構，從群體的制度及個體的人格、行動三個層次，來正面舖陳韋伯的基本觀點。第五章從「學術與政治的關係」這一角度對韋伯的基本觀點加以辯護。第六章結論並提出未來研究的方向。

一、韋伯作品
（一）德文原著
1920 Gesammelte Politische Schriften. München: Drei Masken Verlag.
1922 Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie. Bd.I Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr.
1922 Gesammelte Aufsãtze zur Wissenschaftslehre. Tübingen: J. C.B. Mohr.
1922 Grundriss der Sozialökonomik III Abteilung Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr.
1924 Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Soziologie und Sozialpolitik. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr.
（二）英文譯本
1946 From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology. trans. & ed. H.H. Gerth & Wright Mills . New York: Oxford University Press.
1949 The Methodology of the Social Science. trans. & eds. E.A. Shils & H.A. Finch. New York: The Free Press.
1958 The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. trans. Talcott Parsons. New York: The Free Press.
1958 The Religion of India: The Sociology of Hinduism and Buddhiism. trans. H.H. Gerth & Don Martindale. New York: The Free Press.
1975 Roscher and Knies: The Logical Problems of Historical Economics. trans. Guy Oakes. New York: The Free Press.
1977 Critique of Stammler. trans, Guy Oakes. New York: The Free Press.
1978 Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretative Sociology,2 vols. eds. Guenther Roth & Claus Wittich. California: University of California Press.
1978 Weber: Selections in Translation. trans. W.G. Runciman. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
1980 Max Weber: The Interpretation of Social Reality. ed. J.E.T. Eldridge. New York: Schocken Books, Inc..
1980 “ The National State and Economic Policy. “ (Freiburg Adress). trans .Ben Fowkes. Economy and Society 9(4): 428-449.
（三）中文譯本
1960 基督新教的倫理與資本主義精神。張漢裕 譯。台北：協志工業叢書。
1985 學術與政治，韋伯選集Ⅰ。錢永祥 編譯。台北：允晨出版社。
1985 支配的類型，韋伯選集Ⅲ。康樂 編譯。台北：允晨出版社。
1989 世界與宗教，韋伯選集Ⅱ。康樂，簡惠美 編譯。台北：遠流出版社。
二、中文部分
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1986 非理性的人。彭鏡禧 譯。台北：志文。
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1984 啟蒙運動的哲學。李日章 譯。台北：聯經。
尼采(Friedrich Nietzsche)
1978 查拉杜斯屈拉如是說。雷崧生 譯。台北：台灣中華。
1986 歡悅的智慧。余鴻榮 譯。台北：志文。
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辛格(Peter Singer)
1984 黑格爾。李日章 譯。台北：聯經。
沈清松
1984 解除世界魔咒。台北：時報。
克隆納(Richard Kroner)
1985 論康德與黑格爾。關子尹 編譯。台北：聯經。
林文雄
1976 法實證主義。國立台灣大學法學叢書7。
金子榮一
1980 韋伯的比較社會學。李永熾 譯。台北：水牛。
施路赫特(Wolfgang Schluchter)
1986 理性化與官僚化：對韋伯之研究與詮釋。顧忠華 編譯。台北：聯經。
柏林(Isaiah Berlin)
1986 自由四論。陳曉林 譯。台北：聯經。
陳文團
1983〝無神論與虛無主義—評李震教授之演講：上帝的去留與中國文化的前途〞。哲學與文化 第十卷十一期 頁732-737。
1985 〝意識形態、志趣與倫理：倫理教育的社會衝擊〞。哲學與文化 第十二卷五期 頁309-322。
張灝
1989 幽暗意識與民主傳統。台北，聯經。
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