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According to its definition, “power is the capacity to achieve what one wants. [In politics, this refers to] the social ability to induce others to do what one wants”(Dickerson & Flanagan, p.30). Power in itself is not evil, it merely creates the opportunity for evil to exist when self-interested individuals act irresponsibly in exercise of their power. It can therefore be argued that power is at the root of all evil, that those with power must be restrained in order to maintain peace, and that power in the absence of legitimacy is evil since it represents coercion. In order to accurately determine if power is evil, it is important to understand what exactly can be considered evil. The face of evil in itself is constantly changing, since evil “represents that which is regarded as morally bad” (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil/) and values and morals are continually changing within society. Evil can also be described as something that is “corrupt, wantonly destructive, inhumane, selfish, or wicked” (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil/). Therefore, if power is any of these things, it can then be justified that power is evil. Commerce and the market are fundamental components of society. The exchange of goods and services is a process which in its simplest form increases and decreases the wealth of individuals. A person with more money is generally considered part of the higher class of society and will therefore have more power and ability to achieve what he/she wants. Having power is not evil, however, the exercise of power can be evil which means that power is in fact at the root of evil even though it can be used for much good as well. The idea that money and power are at the root of evil is not a new idea as can be seen from the famous quote from the bible which states, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (Holy Bible, Timothy 6:10). This quote in its modern sense states that although power is highly sought, it often leads to greed and corruption which leaves everyone worse off. For these very reasons, political structures have evolved in ways that have reduced the powers of a single individual or group. Politics is a process of conflict resolution, which can be argued brings peace since it attempts to resolve disagreements among people with different opinions and desires without resorting to any form of violence. Therefore, in order to maintain peace, it is necessary to have politics. Over thousands of years, government and politics has changed and evolved from monarchy, where power is concentrated in one individual, to liberal democracy, where power is split between many levels of government. “Social changes gradually and cumulatively changed people’s notions of political legitimacy; this process was punctuated at certain times with the dramatic collapse of a traditional regime and its replacement by a new system of legal authority” (Dickerson & Flanagan, p. 38). This modernization and change in ideology shows that it is collectively believed that power must be restrained in order to have legitimate authority. “People should not be subject to the unhindered discretion of others, but that all – rulers and ruled alike – should obey known, predictable, and impartial rules of conduct. [The rule of law] is a shield that protects citizens against the abuse of power by laying down a set of procedures governing the use and alleged misuse of coercive power” (Dickerson & Flanagan, p.94). Society over the ages has become more and more peaceful as wars, although still common and ongoing, are less frequent than in the past. It can therefore be said that by having restrained power, society will benefit with increased peace. “The state, which enjoys a monopoly of legitimate violence, must be limited so that those who control the state do not use its power arbitrarily for their own advantage. A limited state makes individual freedom possible” (Dickerson & Flanagan, p.98). By placing restraints, power can be used for the good of society since checks and balances prevent the abuse of authority. Legitimacy in the government refers to the acceptance of the current authority as seen by the people of the state. “Power without legitimacy represents coercion” (Dickerson & Flanagan, p. 36) and coercion is “the deliberate subjection of one will to another” (Dickerson & Flanagan, p.31). This can be considered evil, because in situations where coercion is involved, “compliance is not voluntary, but results from fear of unpleasant consequences” (Dickerson & Flanagan, p.31). A person with power does not necessarily have authority, therefore may not be seen as having the legitimate right to use their power in order to subject their will onto others in order to obtain what they want. If the person does not have the authority to use their power, an individual will not respect the source of the command or feel obligated to obey. The person exercising their power will be seen as evil if they continue to force an individual to comply, which means that power in itself under such a circumstance can be viewed as evil since it allows for this situation to occur. In conclusion, is power in fact evil? No, power in itself is not evil, it is the mere ability to achieve or accomplish desires or goals. Power in many cases can be used constructively to the benefit of an entire state which is in direct contradiction with the definition of the word evil. However, power in the hands of humans will inevitably lead to evil as history will clearly point out with endless examples. For this reason, power must be controlled and balanced in order to avoid the temptation of the personal benefits which can be obtained from its abuse. Power should always be handled responsibly because the abuse of power is evil.
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