Power is a relationship. You have power over me if I find it in my interest to grant it to you. This could be a financial interest, a desire to avoid physical harm, or anything else. What’s granted can be revoked. If I no longer fear your ability to inflict harm or if I decide I don’t want your money, your power over me ceases to exist. Power resides where men believe it resides, because they put it there.
With that said, there are, as observed, a number of methods of reliably gaining power over individuals. Money and force will work on most people in the short term.
Power is a relationship. You have power over me if I find it in my interest to grant it to you
That’s sophistry—it’s easy to adjust your interests. Power still grows out of the barrel of a gun. Yes, you can be a martyr and get shot, but the great majority of people do what powers-that-be tell them.
Force comes from the barrel of a gun. It may or may not lead to actual power. There are countless historical examples where use of force simply served to fan the flames of resistance or where brutal persecutions only strengthened the cause.
People generally listen to the powers-that-be because said powers still look after their interests to an extent. People might not like the local tyrant. They may yearn for a better government. They are also keenly aware of how things can get worse. If the Emperor is tough on crime, leaves you alone if you follow the rules, and makes the trains run on time, that’s probably better than a bloody civil war or domination by criminal gangs.
If I willingly submit to force, it’s because I expect better treatment than I’d get by resisting.
I understand what you are saying, it’s just that I don’t think it’s a useful framework for analysis.
There are a bunch of issues with what we mean by “power”, so let’s define the thing. Actually, let me offer three definition in a descending order of generality.
(1) Power is the ability to achieve your goals, make things happen, actually do stuff. If you’re Superman you have the power to fly.
(2) Power is the ability to make other people do what you want. If you’re Elon Musk, you have the power to build spacecraft.
(3) Power is the ability to make other people do what you want through negative incentives (basically, threats). If you’re a cop, you have the power to arrest people.
Going back to DVH’s point, neither of these is “a trick, a shadow on the wall”.
Power is a relationship. You have power over me if I find it in my interest to grant it to you. This could be a financial interest, a desire to avoid physical harm, or anything else. What’s granted can be revoked. If I no longer fear your ability to inflict harm or if I decide I don’t want your money, your power over me ceases to exist. Power resides where men believe it resides, because they put it there.
With that said, there are, as observed, a number of methods of reliably gaining power over individuals. Money and force will work on most people in the short term.
That’s sophistry—it’s easy to adjust your interests. Power still grows out of the barrel of a gun. Yes, you can be a martyr and get shot, but the great majority of people do what powers-that-be tell them.
Force comes from the barrel of a gun. It may or may not lead to actual power. There are countless historical examples where use of force simply served to fan the flames of resistance or where brutal persecutions only strengthened the cause.
People generally listen to the powers-that-be because said powers still look after their interests to an extent. People might not like the local tyrant. They may yearn for a better government. They are also keenly aware of how things can get worse. If the Emperor is tough on crime, leaves you alone if you follow the rules, and makes the trains run on time, that’s probably better than a bloody civil war or domination by criminal gangs.
If I willingly submit to force, it’s because I expect better treatment than I’d get by resisting.
I understand what you are saying, it’s just that I don’t think it’s a useful framework for analysis.
There are a bunch of issues with what we mean by “power”, so let’s define the thing. Actually, let me offer three definition in a descending order of generality.
(1) Power is the ability to achieve your goals, make things happen, actually do stuff. If you’re Superman you have the power to fly.
(2) Power is the ability to make other people do what you want. If you’re Elon Musk, you have the power to build spacecraft.
(3) Power is the ability to make other people do what you want through negative incentives (basically, threats). If you’re a cop, you have the power to arrest people.
Going back to DVH’s point, neither of these is “a trick, a shadow on the wall”.