Power: A New Social AnalysisThe key to human nature that Marx found in wealth and Freud in sex, Bertrand Russell finds in power. Power, he argues, is man's ultimate goal, and is, in its many guises, the single most important element in the development of any society. Written in the late 1930s when Europe was being torn apart by extremist ideologies and the world was on the brink of war, Russell set out to found a 'new science', one which would make sense of the traumatic events of the day and offer an explanation for those that would follow.The result was Power , a remarkable book which Russell regarded as one of the most important of his long career. Countering the totalitarian desire to dominate, Russell shows how political enlightenment and human understanding can lead to peace - his book is a passionate call for independence of mind and a celebration of the instinctive joy of human life. |
Contents
THE IMPULSE TO POWER | 1 |
LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS | 7 |
THE FORMS OF POWER | 23 |
PRIESTLY POWER | 35 |
KINGLY POWER | 55 |
NAKED POWER | 63 |
REVOLUTIONARY POWER | 82 |
ECONOMIC POWER | 95 |
THE BIOLOGY OF ORGANISATIONS | 127 |
POWERS AND FORMS OF GOVERNMENTS | 145 |
ORGANISATIONS AND THE INDIVIDUAL | 165 |
COMPETITION | 174 |
POWER AND MORAL CODES | 186 |
POWER PHILOSOPHIES | 207 |
THE ETHICS OF POWER | 215 |
THE TAMING OF POWER | 224 |
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absolute monarchy achieved acquired Agathocles Alcmaeonidae anarchy aristocracy army authority Babylonia become belief Bertrand Russell cause century Cesare Borgia Christian Church citizens civilised competition conquest consider countries creed defeat democracy democratic depends desire despotism dictatorship difficult doctrine economic power effect Emperor Empire England ethical example exist Fascists fear feeling Fichte force form of government forms of power freedom Germany Greek hereditary Herodotus Hitler human important increase individual intellectual interests involves Italy kind king leader less Liberals love of power matter means military modern monarchy moral naked power Napoleon nation nomic oligarchy opinion organisation Papacy party Peisistratidae philosophy plutocracy political power Pope possible present propaganda Protestantism psychological purpose religion religious revolution revolutionary Roman Rome rule Russell's Russia sentiment social Stalin success taming of power thought Thrasymachus tion traditional true tyranny victory W. H. R. Rivers wealth