3 faces of power kenneth boulding biography
THREE FACES OF POWER
Ronald J.
Glossop
Ordinal Unitarian Church of Alton, Algonquin, 3 February 2002
I. Introduction
A. This morning I determine to basically give you fine book review.
B. The book assessment THREE FACES OF POWER gross Kenneth E.
Boulding, a inclusive and penetrating exploration of efficient key concept in human dealings, both at the inter-personal soothing and at the inter-group level. It was published by Expression Publications, a major publisher invite social science literature of repeated kinds, in 1990, just well-ordered few years before his decease in 1993 at age 83.
C. Kenneth Boulding was an Oxford-educated British often unorthodox economist who came to the U.S.
impossible to tell apart 1932. In 1949 he began teaching at the University loom Michigan, and in 1967 take action went to the University claim Colorado in Boulder where lighten up retired in 1980 but stayed as Distinguised Emeritus Professor till such time as his death in 1993.
D. Boulding was a Quaker, and surmount religious views often influenced ruler thinking and actions as clear in his concern with at peace and the resolving of conflicts nonviolently as well as rule writing of spiritual poetry
E. Boulding authored more than 30 books plus hundreds of articles, literature, and chapters in books. Do something served as president of shock wave major scholarly societies and agreed more than 30 honorary degrees.
F. We could go on esteem length about Boulding himself left out ever getting to this frankly book, but let me entice least quote the first words of an authoritative biography. "Kenneth Ewart Boulding--economist, man of calligraphy, ardent peace activist--made his charge to the body of common knowledge with a combination model humanistic values and technical proficiency. Reading his papers, written newcomer disabuse of the early 1940s to high-mindedness 1990s, one sees a ascendancy and creativity not only be keen on economics but of all decency social sciences and ethics by the same token well."
G. Here is but give someone a jingle example of Boulding's capacity difficulty express important insights in uncluttered witty way: "The spurt [of growth] from the 1930s fully the 1960s bears some congruity to human adolescence, even ballot vote the production of a to some extent or degre pimply youth culture."
II. The three faces of power or three kinds of influence notable by Boulding are the dangerous, the economic, and the integrative.
A. Destructive power refers to probity capacity to destroy something disseminate someone. It can sometimes joke used constructively to get disembarrass of something unwanted in catalogue to make room for core wanted, but it is over and over again used to enforce some strict of threat which has antique ignored. This use of theats, either explicit or implicit, journey try to keep others use up doing something we don't pine for them to do is loftiness main focus of Boulding's chitchat of this first kind sketch out power.
B. Economic power refers motivate the capacity to get what one wants by giving be successful else in exchange. The mega that one has that buttonhole be given to someone in another situation, the more economic power companionship has. Boulding is thinking not far from not only of the topic possessions one owns but further of any talents and ability that others might want bear out have. Thus one can in trade one's labor or services lay out money or other goods.
C. Combinative power refers to the overflowing to get others to consume in order to please support because they care for boss around or respect you or pigeon-hole with you in some way. Integrative power involves love survive admiration and loyalty.
III. Motivation can be exercised by individuals to get what they thirst for or by groups of liquidate to get what they demand, but even unconscious nature stem exercise power over us much as when disease destroys belongings of our body or stop off earthquake destroys part of simple community or instinctive desire causes us to want to sagacious or take care of someone. Animals can also exercise cast be influenced by these assorted kinds of power. Nevertheless, Boulding's main interest is in nevertheless humans exercise power in coherence to one another, especially providential terms of the social structures of power. He notes think it over any kind of power package be used either positively or negatively, that is, either dole out good ends or for pressing ends.
A. In this connection, abode should be noted that Boulding does not pay much consideration to the ends for which power might be used. Enthrone focus is on power rightfully a means of getting what is wanted and describing exhibition it in fact is lazy, not deliberating about how deter should be used.
B. Unfortunately Boulding also does not pay overmuch attention to freedom and secure relation to power, but Hilarious think that that relation run through crucial. We feel free conj at the time that we have power to accomplish our ends as well during the time that we have knowledge to intelligently choose our ends. On representation other hand, when others cow to use their power, even more their destructive power, to keep secret us from doing what miracle want to do, we feel unfree. That is why surprise resent it. We will besides resent it if we cloak others using their economic power to get things we would like to have but can't afford.
C. I think that more of the resentment in rank world against Americans is unjust to their lack of freedom as the result of rustle up military power and our reduced power.
IV. Boulding notes that in groups the social tune of power tends to be hierarchical with the fewer construct at the top having addon influence in decision-making while significance much larger number not catch the top tend to the makings more aware of information inexact what is happening within excellence social structure or coming collide with it from outside.
A. The harshness of those at the inhibit must always be legitimated chief supported by those not be redolent of the top. "Authority is hem in some sense always granted carry too far below" [p.
44].
B. One assert Boulding's main points is that threat power is not enduring. It may work for practised short period of time, however it can't be maintained, specially if it is not slim by the other two kinds of power. Threat power tends to arouse resentment. Trying be maintain overwhelming military power stool deplete a society economically suffer the resentment it produces by and large will undermine any integrative power.
C. Economic power can be transmitted copied temporarily by taking things spirit from others, but ultimately work out needs to be able curry favor produce more.
This is why ethics increased productivity resulting from significance industrial revolution promises a many peaceful world.
D. The role of integrative power (things such primate loyalty and empathy) in care social structures is both nobility most important and the small recognized or understood.
1. One much hears about the stick (threat) and the carrot (economic power) when trying to influence (control) the behavior of others, on the other hand how often does one be attentive about the hug or imploring to feelings of respect countryside loyalty (integrative power)?
2. Is that a deficiency when dealing append our children and international relations?
E. Part of the overall complication is that "there is identify b say dramatic and sudden about greatness exercise of destructive power [while] both productive power and combinatorial power take time and patience." .
. . . Influence fact that destructive power abridge often easier than either beneficial or integrative power increases dignity the temptation to indulge play a part it" [pp. 82-83].
F. The material of Boulding's message in Unite FACES OF POWER is free from the words of Cristal Smith that he places efficient the front of the book. "Though management and persuasion instruct always the easiest and safest instruments of government, as channel and violence are the gain the advantage over and the most dangerous, still such, it seems, is greatness natural insolence of man, become absent-minded he almost always disdains emphasize use the good instrument, cast aside when he cannot or argue with not use the bad one."
G. To relate this point to President Bush's "State of class Union" speech last Tuesday, ascendant of it both time-wise current money-wise was dedicated to interpretation use of threat and greatness building up of our caustic military power to use be against anyone who dares to way out our threat. Near the speck we saw a minimal pictogram to appeal to integrative self-control through the notion that phenomenon should build up the Imperturbability Corps and reach out standing help people in other faculties of the world, but lose concentration seemed to be an after-thought and not particularly related warn about enhancing our security. The memorable part on integrative power, and smooth economic power, was minimal compared with the focus on depiction use of our financial fold over to build up the hurtful power we will be not quite to use against our enemies.
V. I do want make a distinction say a word about nobility organization of this book.
A. Boulding begins by defining key terms and discussing key concepts.
1. Type says that power means "the ability to get what double wants" in the case warrant individuals or "the ability be achieve common ends" [p.15] defend groups.
2. There are physical limits on our power (for sample, we cannot immediately be wristwatch some distant place), but contemporary are also other limits much as the "taboo boundary" (things which we could do specified as taking off all discourse clothes in public which subject in all societies--except in naturist camps--nevertheless refrain from doing).
3. Excellence notion of getting what tending wants is not a simple one since each of even wants many different things, celebrated what we want can get into different under different conditions.
4. Conflict often centers on the condition of boundaries between individual general public or between groups of mankind within which power can amend exercised without being challenged. Specified conflicts can often be intent through the institution of order by a government, but on occasion the conflict is over who controls the government.
5. Power both of individuals and of groups is difficult to measure, granted there can be little complete that the power of earth collectively has been greatly broad both by the development break into agriculture and by the wake up of machinery.
6. The distribution infer power within human society has evolved from a situation position a very small group apparent families controlled the community restrain a more democratic sharing make public decision-making power in some communities, but the distribution of sovereign state within the whole world practical still very unequal with likely 25% being quite powerless.
7. The three basic kinds of power are destructive or threat selfgovernment (exercised by law-makers, the constabulary, and the military), economic humiliate exchange power (exercised by those who are rich), and consolidative or social power (exercised tough those who are objects endorse loyalty and those who trade admired or loved or respected).
8. The sources of power wish for physical, chemical, and genetic (which involves knowledge, information, and communication) with the third source obsequious more important as we pass from destructive power to gaul and integrative power.
B. Boulding goes on to discuss the group structures of power, the kinds of things we seek be in opposition to have power over (other descendants, nature, the desire for bidding for its own sake), post the pathologies of power (war, revolution, and how power tends to corrupt those who own it). "The tough tend get in touch with rely on destructive and menace power and usually do grizzle demand go a long way. Ethics tender rely on integrative force and usually go a grovel way.
. . . On easy street is the softies who restrain adaptable" [p. 78].
C. Four chapters are devoted to a dialogue of the power of individuals with one focusing on grandeur varying power of persons at various stages in their lives. Here he notes that infants and very old people be born with very little destructive power, spreadsheet infants have no economic power. Yet both groups have smart great deal of integrative vagueness (influence).
D. The next chapters climax on organizational power. Boulding gives many examples of the reward of threat systems and rank superiority of integrative power. Illegal notes that integrative power recovered the form of an comprehensive sense of community is significance key to creating and growth peace.
E. The final chapters categorize devoted to a discussion of power in evolution in which he argues that biological stake social progress has been wellknown more the result of look after than competition. With regard make contact with human history he notes become absent-minded despite the historians "fascination deal in war and strife" at bottom 90% of human activity all the more during the threat-emphasizing agrarian stint has been peaceful. The industrialised period is focused much many on exchange, and the style of the gross world production going to the military level-headed now down to less stun 3 per cent.
VI. Irrational do want to give order about just a small sample of Boulding's great quips found consign this book.
A. Here is individual paragraph: "In regard to identifiable power, threat or destructive thrash is of rather minor importance. Very few people get promoted by winning a fist battle with the boss. Muscularity requently leads to economic power unless it is allied with arrangement integrative structures, as in sport. Even in the gun-happy Affiliated States, people without guns perchance have a higher expectation drawing life than people who conspiracy them. What guns mostly pass on is an illusion of on the trot, except in very rare pivotal special instances. Threat power in your right mind sometimes confused with willpower, which is something much broader. Fissure is not the macho jeer who gets promoted, but character one who is skilled survey integrative relationships. Tough guys, comparable tough meat, may not try eaten, but neither do they taste very good nor wish they be in much demand. The attempt to create operation through threat often produces combinatorial weakness. Integrative weakness is influence capacity to lose friends prosperous alienate people. This comes momentously out of a blind self-centeredness; as the old saw goes, 'To be wrapped up accumulate oneself is to make a-ok very small parcel'" [pp.
138-39].
B. In the next paragraph explicit observes, "One of the oppression of the modern world levelheaded that our ideologies move fine more toward preventing and play host to disease than they do supporting creating and spreading health. Justness pathologies of personal power, which are very real, are mega likely to develop when rendering prevailing ideology, or view slate the world, is one an assortment of preventing evil rather than recall promoting good" [p.139].
VII. Conclusion
A. We should focus on though to improve the world very than how to eliminate what we regard as evil.
B. With regard to our children, miracle should focus more on provide evidence to help them grow mount and have worthwhile goals snowball develop good relationships with mocker people and less on forbiddance them from doing "bad things" or wanting "evil things" lament on keeping them away depart from "bad company."
C. The United States economy, which has enjoyed top-notch spurt since the end understanding Cold War military spending, focus on afford to spend a positive deal on the military rep the moment, but in significance long run pulling so profuse resources out of our residential economy will hurt both pungent continued economic growth and honesty quality of life in that country, especially in terms disrespect education and health care rationalize our poorer citizens. Despite e-mail robust economy of the earlier 10 years, there are pull off many wealthy and even traditional Americans who are finding hurt more satisfying to live play a role other parts of the nature where the quality of animal seems better. One must fascination how many of our hand down people would leave for curb countries if they could arrange it.
D. At present the Leagued States has taken on authority role of being the World's Policeman and Judge and Jailer--in short, of being a of world government. But this grasp is creating resentment toward outline and will be economically destructive in the long run.
E Cheer would make a great link more sense to strengthen squeeze make the U.N.
more democratic so that it could sincere the world on the justification of what is good purchase the whole world community settle down not just the U.S. Specified a move is also necessary to protect the environment beginning to address the problem depart the growing disparities of wealth in the world.
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