The crises of stability in society, authority by rulers and legitimacy by governments have through history inspired the exploration of power, authority and legitimacy. [Spragen, 1997,20]. These concepts are explored through the perspectives of Niccolo Machiavelli who provides insight on power, John Locke who states the manner in which authority( the right to rule) is established, Thomas Hobbes, who shares the means in which authority’s maintained and Plato with his idea of legitimacy- rightfulness in rule.
Machiavelli wrote an ontological political thesis of what power is observing that the manifestation of social conflict was because of the lust for domination which innately exists within any state and the majority[Barnett, History view, 2007]. He concluded a ruler’s key concern was thus their survival and stability even if it involved being “less than virtuous”. [Barnett, History view, 2007] Locke looked at authority believing it could only be gained if those in society handed over their powers through a social contract.
This meant the government would rule by the consent of the ruled and had the obligation to serve and protect society in order for society to obey it in return. The society could thus remove the ruler’s power through revolution should it exceed its scope of authority, not keeping to its obligations and thus dissolving the contract[Tuckness, 2012]; Hobbes differs from Locke here believing that people are innately corrupt and the ruler must thus use their power to assert their authority (no matter how it is that they gained power).
The Essay on Power Authority Study Notes
Week 9 Essay 1 Power and Authority Although they are very closely related, power and authority are two different concepts. Power is needed in order to establish authority, yet it is also completely distinct from authority (Week 9 Study Notes). Power is defined in the course study notes as the "ability of individuals or groups to get what they want despite the opposition." Power is derived from a ...
[Lloyed, 2014] Plato however believed that individuals are not created equal and that only a few can rule and hold power and also in the notion of the good. He believed that only those wise and cable of rule, such as philosophers, should hold power and that they should live restricted lives serving the society and veering corruption.
Plato stated that capability to rule determines the legitimacy to rule and thus the right to have authority which gives one power. [Brown, 2011] In conclusion one could say that Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke and Plato all look at concepts which affect rule. All attempting to solve the problem of social conflict which arises over and over again through history yet is still unresolved. Reference list
