Does Power Corrupt?

Does power corrupt? Well, this can be answered in different ways, but first, let us define power. Merriam Webster dictionary states that power is: “a : possession of control, authority, or influence over others b : one having such power; specifically : a sovereign state c : a controlling group : Establishment —often used in the phrase the powers that be d archaic : a force of armed men echiefly dialect : a large number or quantity.” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power). Let’s focus on the first definition. Power is when a person, more than one person, or thing is in a position of authority. The response to our main question can be affected by many different factors. Whether or not power corrupts a person depends solely on that person, their personality, their past experiences, and the type of power. When thinking even deeper, one may realize that power can not only affect one person. It can affect groups, or even whole countries. Systems or organizations can also be affected by power, whether it be because they are powerful, or because a person that has been corrupted by power is destroying it. As you can see, power and corruption together are very complicated topics, so let’s take a deeper look.

As stated above, power is a very complicated topic, so its corrupting of things can vary depending on the situation. A person’s personality before they gain power can determine whether the power will corrupt them. It is easy to let the power get to your head, but if the person is kind, always puts others first, never thought about wanting power, or is concerned about the welfare of all people, then they may not become corrupted if they are given power. People that are nasty, selfish, greedy, or power-thirsty, on the other hand, may easily let the power take over and control their actions. Another factor that affects how much power may corrode a person is their past experiences. For example, say a person suffered underneath a dictator before. If they ever gain power, they may try to be careful not to make other people suffer the way they did, and be careful with what they do with their power. On the other hand, maybe that person them self was corroded by power before, and they realized that they had made a mistake. They may learn from their mistake and not let the power corrode them the next time. As you can see, power can be dangerous, but not every person is affected by it.

In history, power has corrupted many individuals. It has also occurred the other way around. Corrupted individuals have gained power. Take Hitler for example. He was a corrupt person, hungry for power, and when he did gain it, he became even more corrupted. He killed more than eleven million people, and his gaining of power helped that a lot. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler_). Others were not corrupted by power, like Princess Diana. She used her power and wealth to help out more people, and she was always kind. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana,_Princess_of_Wales). Obviously, power can either greatly corrupt or greatly help people make others lives better, but power does not only affect individuals.

Along with individuals, groups of people can be affected by power. Entire countries, in fact. Every country, some time in its existence, will probably be powerful at some point. They act like individuals many times, and are selfish and let the power corrupt them. However, when entire countries are corrupted, they can have big affects on other countries, or even systems and organizations. Every country has a complicated mix of systems that hold their country together. When a country becomes corrupt, they can destroy the systems that they worked so hard on to put in place. This is something that a country may never recover from, and can be very dangerous.

Our world is built on the rising and falling of nations, groups, and even individual people. Without certain people or groups being powerful, it would be chaos. Even if some people are hurt along the way, it is a way of life. The most that we can hope for is that these corrupted people will learn from their mistakes, and if they get the opportunity, to make better choices in the future.

Sources:

"Diana, Princess of Wales." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .

"Adolf Hitler." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .

"Power - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .

Photographs from:

Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 30 Nov. 2008. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .

Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 22 May 1987. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .