This was posted as a comment on the sample paragraph that Elise posted, so I'm just posting it here so we can comment on it as a regular post.
In society power stems from the interactions between people and the state. The state in society derives its power from its interactions with people. Power in a state is directly related to the morality of a state and its citizens, as a just and moral state will inevitably be more functional and harmonious than an immoral and unjust state. A just ruler in a moral state would apply the same morality of the people to himself to ensure that that state is just and the people's rights are being upheld. For the citizens of a state their power lies in freedom. Essentially that is the power of the people in that a just state upholds its citizens to have the right to express themselves without fear of retribution. For people their power lies not only in their freedoms, but also in their interactions with others. Power comes from interacting with others when those interactions allow for the exchanging of knowledge. Knowledge is the key to power for people, and the basis of knowledge in society is education. Education leads to power in society because when people are educated, then they are able to take positions of power in society, and that can help lead to a more just society as a whole. Power in society comes fro structures of power that are a result of relationships between people, when they have either a positive or a negative influence on others.
Sarah-
ReplyDeleteYou have SO MANY great ideas in this intro! My suggestion for you would be to narrow it down. At the end of this, I know that you have a lot to say about power, but I’m not really positive what you’re planning on arguing. You’ve told me that a ruler has to be moral, that power=freedom, that power=interactions with others, that power=knowledge, and more. I think you CAN tie these together; they’re all related, but I think I need you to make that connection for me a bit more. Are you saying that freedom is essential because it allows us to talk to each other and have those important interactions/teaching moments, and those moments lead to knowledge, and knowledge=power? I think that (which is what I took away from your paragraph) could make an awesome paper, as could just focusing on any one of your many amazing ideas.
Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions.
-Kathryn
This is a good start. It sounds like you are talking about a Lockean social contract. Make sure that that is explicit.
ReplyDeleteCan we fully equate morality and state power? Relate this to Kant.
Do you have a clear idea of justice? How can we decide if power is positive or negative?
Sarah, really interesting ideas here.
ReplyDeleteA few things:
It seems like you have a lot of ideas, (and like Kathryn said) you need to narrow them down a bit.
You say that power comes from interacting with others, is this personal power? And you also say that "In society power stems from the interactions between people and the state." You are saying here that personal power and social power are the same thing. Are they the same thing? Do they need to be different?
I guess the ultimate question I have for you is: what do you want to argue?
Do you want to argue that knowledge is power, that "A just ruler in a moral state would apply the same morality of the people to himself to ensure that the state is just and the people's rights are being upheld." or do you want to argue about the positive and negative influences of power.
These all seem like interesting ideas, so I'll be excited to see which one you choose.
Your paper looks like it will turn out really well, let me know if you have questions! Good luck!
Julia
Sarah-
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kathryn--you have so many ideas here! I feel like you have multiple definitions of power, and I'd love to see that narrowed down.
I feel a little confused around the middle of your paragraph. You begin to talk about both freedom and knowledge/education, but I don't see how these relate to your thesis. Maybe you should either work those into your thesis as a condition for the relationships between people that create power...? Once you get this more "zoomed in," I think that it'll make a fantastic paper!
Emma