Power
Full Title and Meme
Power has been the source of control over one's environment since the origin of life on Earth.
Context
Benjamin Constant[1] argued for the need to limit sovereignty. Unbounded power, whether exercised in the name of a people, a king, or an assembly, is a very perilous thing. This is because when sovereignty is unlimited "there is no means of sheltering individuals from governments."
Problems
Power comes from the plenitude of whatever it is the causes action beit:
- More People
- More Particles
- More Energy
But if any of these is not ordered, the power is not useful. What is useful is directed power. When the mob is in control, order is lost and the power of the masses is not put to useful results. This is the typical result of unfettered democracy. The leaders that control the mob can get useful work out of this and become the recognized leaders. If the leaders get together in a class, it attempt to magnify its value and institutionalize it. The Greater Vehicle in Sanskrit or Mahāyāna represents a broad tradition within Buddhism that emphasizes the Bodhisattva path (striving for enlightenment) not just for oneself, but for the benefit of all beings. The Hinayana focuses only on the individual. While a great leader will focus on the greater good, the one who inherits that agglomeration of mob power may focus on the less good.
References
- ↑ Benjamin Constant, The Principles of Politics Applicable to All Governments 1815 https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/constant-principles-of-politics-applicable-to-all-governments
