India: Politics As A Concept Of Power

ABSTRACT

Power plays a vital role in the development of politics in any nation. Since the beginning of human civilization, Power has been occupying the central position in human relations. The research paper strives to elucidate and cover all major points by analyzing the crucial role that power plays within the realms of politics. The research paper contains the quotes and sayings of various contemporary thinkers to provide a clear understanding of the text and the topic under discussion. Some of the contemporary as well as traditional thinkers like Frederick Watkins, William A. Robson, Michael Curtis, Bertrand Russell, Maclver, Alan Ball, etc.

Through this research paper, the author attempts to define the meaning of power, different forms of power i.e., mainly Political Power, Economic Power, and Ideological power, structure of power as elucidated by distinguished schools of thought, broadly, the class perspective of power by Marxists, elite theory by Elitists, gender perspective of power by feminists, group perspective of power by pluralists, and, constructive view of power by some contemporary thinkers including Mahatma Gandhi, and the differences and similarities among Authority, Power, and Legitimacy. The author also dugs out the historical aspect of power and how it got defined by various foreign and Indian thinkers like Kautilya, Max Weber, etc.

Since power covers an enormous part of political science that cannot be attributed in words, the author attempted to simplify it in conclusion by quoting the values and thoughts of the father of our nation i.e., Mahatma Gandhi.

INTRODUCTION

"Power" is considered as one of the critical ideas in political theory. It is said that the idea of power holds similar emanation in the limits of political theory as held by the concept of money inside the domain of economics. It additionally surpasses the scope of, formal institutions to focus on the genuine thought processes and goals of human beings that lie behind all political movement and establishment buildings.

As expressed by Frederick Watkins, "The proper scope of political science is not the study of the state or of any other specific institutional complex, but the investigation of all associations insofar as they can be shown to exemplify the problem of power."¹ Assenting to the statement of Frederick Watkins, William A. Robson said, "It is with power in society that political science is primarily concerned—its nature, basis, processes, scope and results ... The "focus of interest" of the political scientist is clear and unambiguous; it centres on the struggle to gain or retain power, to exercise power or influence over others, or to resist that exercise."²

In ancient India, the renowned scholar of statecraft, Kautilya, wrote about power in the 4th century B.C., describing it as the possession of strength derived from three elements: supremacy, technical skill, or even the willingness to suffer for their country. Hans Kautilya twenty-three centuries before, articulated the political theory that is more up-to-date and practical approach of power as a relationship between the two states where one side has the capability to control another actors thoughts and actions.³

The centrality of Power in the political theory was kicked in by different traditional thinkers like Hobbes (1588-1679), Machiavelli (1469-1527) and Nietzche (1844-1900) and by modern-day essayists like Max Weber, Lasswell, Kaplan, Catlin, Merriam, Watkins, Morgenthau, and Trietschke.

1. Lasswell and A. Kaplan have characterized political theory as "the study of the shaping and sharing of power."⁴ Max Weber's meaning of politics additionally infers attention on power with regards to national as well as worldwide international governmental issues, "Politics is the struggle for power or the influencing of those in power, and embraces the struggle between states as well as between organized groups within the state." ⁵

Michael Curtis stated, "Politics is organized dispute about power and its use, involving choice among competing values, ideas, persons, interests and demands."⁶ Elucidating the scope on the study of politics, Curtis continues, "The study of politics is concerned with the description and analysis of the manner in which power is obtained, exercised and controlled, the purposes for which it is used, the manner in which decisions are made, factors which influence the making of those decisions and the context in which those decisions take place."⁷

MEANING OF POWER

Bertrand Russell has described power as "the production of intended effects."⁸ As such, power signifies the capacity of an individual to satisfy his desires or to accomplish his goals. Popularly, the term "power" might be utilized in diverse settings. For example, we discuss the power of man over nature or material things, and the power of one man over another man. The majority of the scholars of power, including Russell, like to limit its use by defining it as "the power over human beings". Thus, Robert Dahl characterizes power as a sort of influence; it is exercised "when compliance is accomplished by creating the possibility of serious sanctions for non-compliance."⁹

Every one of these definitions gives prominence to that part of the power which is practiced by a man or coterie over an "unwilling" lot. Therefore, they are one-sided. Power, to be compelling and stable, frequently takes the personality of "authority" which also comprehends legitimacy i.e., the capacity to secure willing obedience.

POWER AS CONCEPT OF AUTHORITY

Authority holds two important subsets i.e., Power and Legitimacy. Power alone includes the ability to get a choice obeyed by others against their will. Robert M. Maclver has aptly elucidated power as "the capacity in any relationship to command the service or compliance of others."¹⁰ To make power instrumental and to establish a standing where individual will follow commands, it is imperative to bring in legitimacy. This is alternative method of gaining acceptance, not through obligation or coercion. Legitimacy is a state of having members, of society, look at these decisions and or rules and understand them as fair and consequently to this, the people are willing to follow these decisions and rules. Didn't stand for the abuse of force, coercion, or sanctions, unless legitimacy didn't work properly. If authority is symbolized by a sword, then power is the point, edge and handle of it. Power is sustained by terror or force, while legitimacy does its job by recognizing that respect and voluntary cooperation lie at their hearts. Hereby, the rule of the power factor is the best one amongst the two as far as the area of the politics is concerned.

Footnotes

1 The State as a Concept of Political Science; 1934