According to Max weber
‘power’ can be defined as “All conceivable … combinations of circumstances may
put him [the actor] in a position to impose his will in a given
situation.”
In this article what
interests me is how power is defined in different contexts. Its used as an
umbrella term which includes not only being powerful in terms of physical
strength but being in power due to having political skill, wealth and
motivation. The important distinction between being disliked but still being
able to govern a group of individuals is what helps us understand why there
have been dictatorships in countries. The meaning of ‘Power’ in this article is
used synonymously with coercion, authority and force.
Whether power is from the top
in the form of a dictatorship like the dictatorship of Hitler in Germany
or Vladimir Putin in Russia where at a
single command of one person the entire country submits or the state being in a
position of power where they can pass laws and the public has to adhere to them
no matter what. Or it is from below in the form of a revolution by the people
of a country. Especially a Marxist state
where collectively the people are in power to bring about a change from below.
Whether a dictatorship is successful or not and whether a revolution actually
brings about a change is besides the point. Power can lie with either, what
matters is who can exercise it. The bottom line is that it actually all comes
down to ‘power’ which is the most important factor responsible for controlling
behavior and this article makes a strong case for understanding the definition
and role of power without which the
understanding of politics remains incomplete.
1 comment:
Hence power is really the fundamental thread that ties all social activity together.
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