Power
Force always attracts men of
low morality.
Albert
Einstein
In social science and politics, power is the social production of an effect that
determines the capacities, actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_(social_and_political)
Power is not just about force. It is widely defined as the capability of doing or accomplishing something through action. It can be done individually or in a group. One can accomplish something by oneself, without others. The scientist toiling in a lab by him or herself can find a revolutionary discovery. Unless it is presented to a wider group and those can be convinced to support and promote it, the discovery may have more limited impact. The point of what we have dubbed “Civilization” has been the wider tribe. Its benefits include collaboration.
As discussed, Humans have cognitive powers to communicate, store and decimate knowledge from place to place and through time. This allows present-day humans to benefit from previous and current knowledge. However, someone or some force decides what is developed, saved, produced, or discarded. In this blog I have that power. If no one cares, it may be power that accomplishes nothing. At the very least, on a personal note, the writing of these thoughts forces me to rationalize the topics. If readers commented, they may shape the discussions.
The following quote is
illuminating, “You are not responsible for your own success. Your burning
ambitions, or even your hard work, won’t make you successful. What will make
you successful are those people higher up who have power over your career. Your
job is to make them want
to make you successful. And part of that is hard work and good performance, but
part of that are the relationships that you build with them. That’s why hard
work isn’t enough.” (Keith Ferazzi http://www.bnet.com/article/the-one-thing-you-need-to-get-ahead/465765?promo=713&tag=nl.e713)
IMHO Humans are all about stories. It transcends who we are
and gives us meaning and a sense of belonging to something greater than
ourselves.
Humans being
social animals had to coordinate their activities. This required directed activity. It did not come instinctively. It had to be directed by an individual or elite. Today, we may call this leadership. Leadership requires power. A leader needs to influence or force individuals to a certain task.
If power must
be shared is most comfortably shared with those who have similar beliefs and
backgrounds. Think about this for a moment, isn't it logical that an individual
who want to ensure delegated power would be executed in a fashion like what he
or she would do. This may explain why in
power circles there may appear to be a lack of diversity. This is not always
true, Abraham Lincoln was successful in purposely choosing a cabinet of rivals.
Historically, people have died in the defense
or advancement of a truth that they believed that may have not been
so. Some of the recent wars we have had on this planet have been due
to ideology. Pursuit or defense of the truth as perceived by
individuals or groups is a powerful force.
Recall the timeline (years ago)
500 The Scientific Revolution.
Humankind admits its ignorance and begins to acquire unprecedented power. Europeans
begin to conquer America and the oceans. The entire planet becomes a single
historical arena. The rise of capitalism.
200 The Industrial Revolution.
Family and community are replaced by state and market. Massive extinction of
plants and animals.
The Present Humans transcend the
boundaries of planet Earth. Nuclear weapons threaten the survival of humankind.
Organisms are increasingly shaped by intelligent design rather than natural
selection. The Future Intelligent design becomes the basic principle of life?
Homo sapiens is replaced by superhumans?
Harari, Y. N. Sapiens:
A Brief History of Humankind. HarperCollins. Retrieved from Kindle Edition.
My question to the reader is who decides what happens in the present?
Great leaps by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Copernicus, Columbus
reshaped science, education, manufacturing, communication, politics.
Gutenberg’s press provided the trigger, uncloistering
knowledge from the monastery to the populous. The Church’s monopoly power on
knowledge was torn asunder.
“Age of Discovery” Ian Goldin , Chris Kutarna
The last point was a big deal! Prior to 500 years ago the
population was most illiterate, often depending upon the clergy (who were
literate) as a reference point for most matters. The clergy had enormous power.
Savonarola was amongst the
first to tap into the information revolution
of the time [Gutenberg's press], and while others produced long sermons and
treatises, Savonarola disseminated short pamphlets' ... The establishment politicians
of the day, who were low energy, 'underestimated the power of that new
information revolution to move beyond scientific and cultural ideas' to amplify
populist voices challenging authority."
Thomas L. Friedman
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/22/opinion/another-age-of-discovery.html
(The) “information
hoarder (the guy who wields information as power) will undermine trust and
performance, create information choke points, and increase uncertainty.”
Technology can change
the dissemination of information. 500 year ago it was the printing press today
it is the internet.
A conclusion here is
power is based on information and the way it is disseminated. The greater the
access to information and the verity of that information is critical. Information
can be manipulated and hence increase the power of those who do it successfully
can gain increased power. An example today is so called “fake news” where mainstream
news reporting is discredited. Distorting facts are a key tactic to influence a
wider audience. If one does not base decisions on fact any outcome is possible.
Power as a topic will
be revisited in other related topics such as leadership, influence, politics
and probably nearly everywhere it exists. This is the beginning of this thread.
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