Key Arguments

• Power is a 'power potential,' not a measurable entity like force or strength; it is inherently potential and exists only in actualization.
• Strength belongs to isolated individuals, but power arises between people acting in concert and disappears upon dispersion.
• Power is remarkably independent of material factors: small, organized groups can dominate large empires; poor countries can prevail over rich ones.
• Nonviolent popular revolt can generate 'almost irresistible power' precisely because it cannot be countered by fighting without resorting to mass slaughter.

Source Quotes

Power is actualized only where word and deed have not parted company, where words are not empty and deeds not brutal, where words are not used to veil intentions but to disclose realities, and deeds are not used to violate and destroy but to establish relations and create new realities. Power is what keeps the public realm, the potential space of appearance between acting and speaking men, in existence. The word itself, its Greek equivalent , like the Latin with its various modern dervatives or the German (which derives from and , not from ), indicates its “potential” character.

The word itself, its Greek equivalent , like the Latin with its various modern dervatives or the German (which derives from and , not from ), indicates its “potential” character. Power is always, as we would say, a power potential and not an unchangeable, measurable, and reliable entity like force or strength. While strength is the natural quality of an individual seen in isolation, power springs up between men when they act together and vanishes the moment they disperse.

Power is always, as we would say, a power potential and not an unchangeable, measurable, and reliable entity like force or strength. While strength is the natural quality of an individual seen in isolation, power springs up between men when they act together and vanishes the moment they disperse. Because of this peculiarity, which power shares with all potentialities that can only be actualized but never fully materialized, power is to an astonishing degree independent of material factors, either of numbers or means.

While strength is the natural quality of an individual seen in isolation, power springs up between men when they act together and vanishes the moment they disperse. Because of this peculiarity, which power shares with all potentialities that can only be actualized but never fully materialized, power is to an astonishing degree independent of material factors, either of numbers or means. A comparatively small but well-organized group of men can rule almost indefinitely over large and populous empires, and it is not infrequent in history that small and poor countries get the better of great and rich nations.

A comparatively small but well-organized group of men can rule almost indefinitely over large and populous empires, and it is not infrequent in history that small and poor countries get the better of great and rich nations. (The story of David and Goliath is only metaphorically true; the power of a few can be greater than the power of many, but in a contest between two men not power but strength decides, and cleverness, that is, brain power, contributes materially to the outcome on the same level as muscular force.) Popular revolt against materially strong rulers, on the other hand, may engender an almost irresistible power even if it foregoes the use of violence in the face of materially vastly superior forces. To call this “passive resistance” is certainly an ironic idea; it is one of the most active and efficient ways of action ever devised, because it cannot be countered by fighting, where there may be defeat or victory, but only by mass slaughter in which even the victor is defeated, cheated of his prize, since nobody can rule over dead men.

(The story of David and Goliath is only metaphorically true; the power of a few can be greater than the power of many, but in a contest between two men not power but strength decides, and cleverness, that is, brain power, contributes materially to the outcome on the same level as muscular force.) Popular revolt against materially strong rulers, on the other hand, may engender an almost irresistible power even if it foregoes the use of violence in the face of materially vastly superior forces. To call this “passive resistance” is certainly an ironic idea; it is one of the most active and efficient ways of action ever devised, because it cannot be countered by fighting, where there may be defeat or victory, but only by mass slaughter in which even the victor is defeated, cheated of his prize, since nobody can rule over dead men. The only indispensable material factor in the generation of power is the living together of people.

Key Concepts

• Power is what keeps the public realm, the potential space of appearance between acting and speaking men, in existence.
• Power is always, as we would say, a power potential and not an unchangeable, measurable, and reliable entity like force or strength.
• power springs up between men when they act together and vanishes the moment they disperse.
• power is to an astonishing degree independent of material factors
• Popular revolt against materially strong rulers, on the other hand, may engender an almost irresistible power even if it foregoes the use of violence
• since nobody can rule over dead men.

Context

Section 28; conceptual clarification of power as relational potential and its counterintuitive independence from material superiority.