...Power. Authority. Violence A research paper highlighting the relation between the three terms: power, authority and violence, and the nature of violence and power in Hannah Hannah Arendt’s theory in her book ‘Crises of the Republic’. ------------------------------------------------- Sushrut S. Vaidya (20155042) Hannah Arendt (1906 – 1975) was a political theorist, who through her theories got the recognition of a philosopher and framed the thoughts of many political theorists to come through her topics on the nature of power, authority and totalitarianism. Through this paper, I shall be talking about my take on the relation between the three fundamentals of Hannah Arendt’s theory in her book ‘Crises of the Republic’. The relation that I will be deriving is between her theory of power, authority and violence. I hope to be, at the end of this paper, be able to provide an input as to where the ideal culminated theory lies and be able to put forward a few points on the continued flow of power. Power, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is defined as the ability to act or produce an effect or as the possession of control, authority or influence over others. Power, has evolved into its many forms as it was practiced through time. Turning back time to back when primordial man asserted his power over others to the beginning of civilized life to the time where empires began and required ruling to the creation of the ‘modern man’, power has been exercised multiple...
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...balance of: Power, authority and legitimacy. These three concepts are interrelated and a society in absence of one or the other usually finds itself in strain from political instability. In the following essay the question “how do Plato, John Locke and Nicollo Machiavelli address the concepts of: power, authority and legitimacy” shall be discussed. Reference shall be made on how each theorist addresses the above concepts. John Locke addresses the concept of legitimacy. He agrees with Thomas Hobbes in that “the British monarchy lost some of its authority” (John 1689), but he believed it came about because “the monarchy had tried to exceed the scope of its authority” (John 1689).Locke believes the people were acting `natural’ by being disruptive because the monarchy broke the `contract’ by wanting absolute power. Thomas Hobbes agrees with Locke in that the monarchy “suffered from a failure of authority” (Thomas 1651.part 1) but he believes it came about because the monarchy was careless and didn’t know what was expected from them as a ruler. Plato also addresses legitimacy in the Greek government. Plato believes that we live in a world of illusions and that the Greek citizens executed themselves when they executed Socrates. Plato tells us illusions can be dangerous “allegory of the cave” (Spragens 1997). Machiavelli deals with power and “believes a good state, is a state that is well ruled” (Machiavelli 1513 chapter12) He believes that unrest is caused by the lust for power. And believes...
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...politics Power gets used to implement a decision. The role of Power becomes most effective when Power does not remain a source of coercion. In-fact after getting legitimized it becomes Authority. Means the stability of Authority depends upon legitimacy. So in short Authority is a quality or capacity of a person, institution, rule or order which becomes important in defining whether Authority is correct or authentic, so that people can follow the rules and regulation without any hesitation. Because of the use of Authority official Governmental policies, rules and regulations get accepted in the society. Authority has two main components: Power and Legitimacy. Legitimacy of a rule or a decision signifies the fact that people reckon the decision as fruitful and in welfare of the society. Thus they are always ready to follow the rule or decision. Demonstration of Power does not become necessary as long as Legitimacy is attached to Power. It only comes out as a symbol. Like a judge with his black gown or a policeman with his uniform. Just like beauty lies in the eyes of beholder, Legitimacy lies in the eyes of beholder. There is no question, that without Power it will be very difficult to implement the official decision as well as rules, but only by the fear of punishment or by the coercion authority may not prove successful as far as long term benefits are concerned. Infact such a step becomes tyranny and works as a catalyst for the rebellion. The able use of Power always gets...
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...GKE1 Task 3, Historical Systems of Power and Authority Part A The rise of colonialism in North America occurred in the 1600’s by the British. Britain had sent to North America, colonists which were to establish new settlements in the name of the crown and Britain. Most of the colonists were privately funded with endorsement by the British government. The Idea of colonization was to establish settlements for the purpose of expanding a trade base for economic purposes. Britain colonized North America basically because they had a limited amount of land and natural resources, North America presented a great opportunity to expand their land holdings and create a source for raw materials. Britain still considered the colonists to be British citizens and therefore were expected to abide by rules and laws established by Britain for the colonists. Britain exerted tight control of the colonists through laws and acts that were specifically designed for the benefit of Britain. The needs of Britain were always put first before the needs of the colonists. Acts and taxes were put in place as a means to control trade and make sure that monetary items were received by Britain. The economic cycle was one of Britain obtained raw materials cheaply from the colonies, the goods were finished in England and sold back to the colonists for large profits. The colonies in North America were strictly established for the economic benefit of Britain. Also there was great prestige in this era that came from...
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...One of the main themes of The Truman Show is power and authority. The director, Peter Weir is able to develop these themes by using techniques such as dialogue, setting, and characterisation. There is also the motif of Christof being like God which runs throughout the movie. Peter Weir uses dialogue to develop the theme of power and authority in The Truman Show. “Look at that sunset, Truman. It’s perfect … that’s the Big Guy. Quite a paintbrush he’s got.” This line is spoken to Truman by his best friend Marlon when Truman tells him that he wants to leave Seahaven. Marlon tries to convince Truman to stay by emphasising the beauty of Seahaven. He refers to ‘the Big Guy’, which is normally slang for God when he is actually talking about Christof. Through this quote, Weir is able to show the audience that Christof is so powerful that some of the characters liken him to God. Weir does this in another quote which is spoken by Christof when he introduces himself to Truman. “I am the creator … of a television series.” Christof adds “… of a television series,” after announcing to Truman that he is the creator. Peter Weir uses the slight pause to show the viewer that Christof himself has a God complex....
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...Assess the strengths and weaknesses of using experiments in investigating power and authority in prisons (15 marks) There are two types of experiments which are used by sociologists to study various causes and effects of variables within settings and situations, these include laboratory experiments and field experiments. As favoured by positivists, the laboratory experiments are artificial environments where the researcher controls variables to discover their effect, with the aim to discover a causal law. However, sociologists sometimes use field experiments to overcome the lack of validity of laboratory experiments. Field experiments differ from lab experiments as they take place in the participants' natural surroundings, and the participants do not know they are in an experiment. Researchers could use laboratory experiments to create a prison situation amongst participants and observe their behaviour in terms of power and authority. However, if prisons itself were to be studied, many practical issues may arise. For example, prisons are closed organisations which mean that access to them may not be gained, and even so, prison guards and other authority figures could be protective over their 'canteen' like culture and thus may deny requests for access. Despite this, previous research has shown that researchers have easier access to organisations such as prisons if they are encouraged by the government. For example, researchers of the 'short, sharp shock' approach gained...
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...Organisations Question 1: Do good managers need to understand how power and authority operates within organisations? Name: Surawich Channoi Student Number: 110490551 Course: E-business (Information Systems) Module Leader: Mr Ewan Mackenzie Due Date: 10.12.2012 Word Count: 1509 In every organisation, it is common that there are several groups of staff with different positions work together as a company. In order to manage enormous amount of people, it is necessary to have good managers, leader of each department in an organisation. They will have to use various management tools in order to control and motivate their subordinates to work loyally and effectively, one of the most important tool is power. Finkelstein mentioned that "Power is defined here as the capacity of individual actors to exert their will" (Finkelstein, 1992). However, despite the fact that using power can manipulate and sustain company success, it is also able to create unpleasant effects if the reckless managers overuse or unable to manage it correctly. While some experts agree that power is an essential criterion to managers, there are evidences which point out the negative effects when the managers do not understand their authorities and cannot use power appropriately. Although, mismanaged application of power might lead to significant crisis in an organisation, this essay will attempt to illustrate that professional managers can make a good use of power as a viable method to achieve subordinates cooperation...
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...Legitimate power and authority are the same. Legitimate power is based on the subordinate’s perception that the leader has a right to exercise influence because of the leader’s role or position in the organisation (Laurie Mullins, 2005). Legitimate or position power, as it is sometimes called, is derived from a position of authority inside the organization, often referred to as “formal authority.” That is, the organization has given to an individual occupying a particular position the right to influence or direct certain other individuals. Those with legitimate power have the understood right to ask others to do things that are considered within the scope of their authority. When a manager asks an employee to work late to complete a project or to work on one task instead of another, he or she is exercising legitimate power. Managers can enhance their position power by formulating policies and procedures. For example, a manager might establish a requirement that all new hires must be approved by said manager, thus exercising authority over hiring (DuBrin, 2009). Subordinates play a major role in the exercise of legitimate power. If subordinates view the use of power as legitimate, they comply (Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly, & Konopaske, 2012). That is, legitimate power covers a relatively narrow range of influence and, therefore, it may be inappropriate to overstep these bounds (Greenberg, 2011). For example, a boss may require his secretary to type a company document. However...
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...10.Authority, Delegation and Decentralisation AUTHORITY Meaning : Authority is the right or power assigned to an executive or a manager in order to achieve certain organizational objectives. A manager will not be able to function efficiently without proper authority. Authority is the genesis of organizational framework. Without authority, a manager ceases to be a manager, because he cannot get his policies carried out through others. Authority is one of the founding stones of formal and informal organizations. An Organization cannot survive without authority. It indicates the right and power of making decisions, giving orders and instructions to subordinates. Authority is delegated from above but must be accepted from below i.e. by the subordinates. In other words, authority flows downwards....
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...Authority, as with discipline, can have different meanings, and the meaning of “authority” is dependent upon the context in which used for. For example: * The power or enforce obedience * Delegated power * A person whose opinion is accepted because of expertise. The independent police complaints commission The IPCC was formed in 2004 as a result of the police reform act 2002. It replaced the police complaints authority as the independent body to oversee completes, against the police in 43 police services in England and wales. It currently comprises 15 commissioners, who are appointed by the home sectary for a period of 5 years, and a team of independent investigators. Each team of investigators is headed by a regional director in each of its four regions, covering England and wales. The IPCC carries out investigations into serious allegations of misconduct by serving police person. These include allegations of: * Serious or organised corruption * Against senior officers * Involving racism * Of perverting the course of justice. HM chief inspector of prisons Her majesty’s chief inspector of prisons is another independent body which reports to the sectary of state for the ministry of justice on the condition and treatment of prisoners in England and wales. Its authority is given under section 5A of the prisons act 1952 and by section 57 of the criminal justice act 1982. The inspectorate is appointed by the home salutary for a period of 5 years...
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...The Concept of Power The concept of power is present within various realms of all organizations. Power, however, is not something that should necessarily be looked at negatively. There are justifiable types of power that may be important to criminal justice organizations. The main role of power in criminal justice administration should be to gain compliance from subordinates of all types, and turn that power over time into acceptable forms of authority (Stojkovic et al., 2008). It is for this reason that power is an important attribute in criminal justice agencies. It is important as a criminal justice manager, and agency as a whole, to have legitimate power. Power that is not coercive and works for the good of the organization is beneficial in gathering information, resources, and compliance. Legitimate, expert, and referent power can be effective in the attainment of goals (Stojkovic et al., 2008). Legitimate power operates on the assumption that those in traditional authority positions are the power holder and wield their authority over the power recipient because their internalized norms justify the amount of compliance needed (Stojkovic et al., 2008). Legitimate power is most useful within criminal justice agencies because it takes into account the culture, and social structure, and operates within a hierarchy to promote successful delegation of duties. While political power does have some benefits within a criminal justice agency, it is easily corruptible and...
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...political terms, power can be explained as the control one entity has over the other. Power is sometimes confused with the term 'influence'. Where power is the ability of make formal binding decisions, influence can be taken as a means through which that power is exerted. This may be due to intimidation, threats, logical reasoning, rational persuasion or lobbying. Authority can be defined as a form of power. The difference lies within the ways through both power and authority is exerted. Where power is viewed as control through any means, authority has a moral character attached to it, and is based on a 'right to rule' notion, where the ruled see the authority as legitimate and take it as a moral obligation to obey it. Authority is essential for the ruling governments. They can maintain order in the society by sheer use of force and coercion but stability and peace can only be achieved through willing compliance otherwise chaos would follow. However, authority by some, is also viewed as an idea which threatens the notions of liberty and democracy. The idea of Authority and Power can be distinguished in theory. Authority is followed without any means, as it is seen as a moral obligation by the ruled party however power is exerted through either persuasion or force. But in the practical terms both of these terms overlap and it is difficult to distinguish them both. An authority will not be influential unless it is backed by power. A leader is said to be in authority when he has the...
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...concept of power is relative to the level of control exercised over resources deemed as necessities. Although there are a variety of ways to define power, there are a few elements that constantly appear. One of the constant elements in power is dependence. The next element is influence. Another element is the skill and strength to move resources into action (Blader & Chen, 2012). The power imbalances as it relates to distributive, integrative and designated power can impede one’s ability to manage work-related conflict. This paper will present a synthesized meaning of conflict of power, determine how power can constrain or exacerbate conflict, discuss ways for leaders to integrate conflict mediation into organizational culture, and include examples of scenarios in the analysis (learners.ncu.edu, 2013). Conflict of power comes from both conceptual and perceptive points of view. Conceptually, power is an expression through notions of symbolism as result of the relationship that exists between people (Dahl, 2007). The concept of power has more of an extrospective reference but also includes an introspective approach. The concept of power is exemplified through rank and file. Even if a soldier does not personally know an officer, it is the extrospective approach to power that has the soldier solute the officer. The soldier gives respect to the position a higher rank. The respect of position is called designated power (Wilmot & Hocker, 2011). Designated power is automatically...
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...reduce it is centralisation." According to Louis Allen, "decentralisation refers to the systematic effort to delegate to the lowest levels all authority except that which can only be exercised at central point." This definition makes it clear that even in decentralisation, delegation to the lowest levels is not complete as the basic functions in the management process are centralized. level of standardization—both within and across markets—the greater the possible level of global efficiency Globalization 3.0, major software advances have allowed an unprecedented number of people worldwide to work together with unlimited potential. Advantages / Importance of Decentralization 1. Decentralisation helps to improve the quality of decisions/decision-making at the top level management : Decentralisation of authority among other executives at all levels in the Organisation relieves the top executive of the excessive burden saving his valuable time, which he can devote to more important and long-term problems. This is bound to improve the quality of his decisions regarding such problems. 2. Decentralisation facilitates diversification of activities : It is a matter of common experience that an Organisation with departmentation on the basis of products facilitates diversification of products or market even when the authority is centralized. Decentralisation takes this process a step further. Managers of semi-autonomous product divisions are able to utilise their skills...
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...Chapter 13 - Organizational, Political, and Personal Power Power = the ability to influence due to the origin of the power ** Having power gives one the potential to change the attitudes and behaviors of individual people and groups ** Ex: A scientist who is an expert witness in court has power due to his or her expertise Authority = the rights one has due to one’s position. -right to command, accompanies any management positions and is a source of legitimate power, although components of management, authority, and power are also necessary, to a degree, for successful leadership Ex: Human Resources office has the authority to negotiate one’s rate of pay, but not the authority to fire that employee Authority-Power Gap - Right to command does not ensure that employees will follow orders = Gap between position of authority and subordinate response Types of Power Reward power = obtained by the ability to grant favors or reward others with whatever they value Coercive power = the opposite of reward power, is based on fear of punishment if the manager’s expectations are not met Legitimate power = position power; authority - power gained by a little or official positions within an organization Expert power = gained through knowledge, expertise, or experience. - having critical knowledge allows a manager to gain power over others who need that knowledge Referent power = power that a person has because others identify with that...
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