Social Organization and Political Power: An Analysis
Society and Political Power
Human beings are social animals. Society needs to develop the layers that characterize them as human beings. Language is a factor of socialization, through which we receive knowledge and norms of our culture.
Theories of Social Organization
Society is a logical consequence of human nature. The basic principle is that man needs to satisfy their basic needs (food, health). Society is an artificial construction (a product of an agreement). Representatives include Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.
Forms of Social Organization
The evolution of human groups is intimately linked to the problems they are confronted with.
- Tribal: This is based on the union of families, sharing of social work, and a very limited hierarchy (e.g., Nukak tribes of Colombia and Udege of Siberia).
- Archaic: Linked to the appearance of organic agriculture and slavery. Private companies emerge, as do social classes and, therefore, taxes. The establishment of laws (e.g., the polis of ancient Greece and Rome).
- Feudal: Ownership of land is in the hands of the great lords to whom vassals owe obedience. Political power is exercised by the King, but the landlords have influence (e.g., Carolingian Empire).
- Capitalist Bourgeois: With the development of industry and trade, economic centers are moving to the cities. The bourgeoisie becomes the most powerful class, leading (18th century) to representative democracies (e.g., modern Western societies).
Power and Political Power
As society becomes increasingly complex, it necessitates greater specialization of tasks (e.g., farmers, craftsmen). To organize the distribution of tasks and to direct the actions of individuals, power arises.
Power: The capacity of one or more individuals to make decisions that affect a community and force them to obey their guidelines.
Uses of the Term “Power”
- As a domain or capacity to command (e.g., military commander).
- As ownership, to indicate an object is owned by someone (it is in their possession).
- As power, referring to the guiding force (e.g., parliament), the capacity of politicians to govern, promulgate laws, or coercive power (judicial power), the imposition of compliance with a law or rule by threat or punishment (power of the state).
- As a government, referring directly to the government of some political groups (e.g., “X Party gained power through the elections”).
Power and Domain
Domain: Relations of domination as the foundation of political power.
- Until the 19th century, forms of political organization were based on the dominance of men over other types.
Match Political Organization, According to Aristotle
- Monarchy: A form of political organization in which power belongs to the King for life and is hereditary.
- Tyranny: A form of political organization in which power corresponds to a social class and is hereditary.
- Oligarchy: A form of political organization in which power is exercised by a group of people belonging to a privileged class.
- Aristocracy: A form of political organization in which power corresponds to a hereditary privileged class.
- Democracy: A form of political organization in which power belongs to the people.
Laws as the Foundation of Political Power
- Since the 19th century, political organization based on domain relations has stopped, considering these relationships are not peculiar to humans but animals. It is being gradually phased out by the power of the laws.
- Now, power refers to the capacity of individuals to accept the laws that govern them and designate individuals.
- The fulfillment of domain-based power involves the capacity to act on behalf of the group that is represented, and that representation gives authority to the political representatives (MPs and Senators), which can authorize the use of force only in three cases: to defend the laws, freedom, and security of citizens.
Legitimacy of Political Power
Political Power: The capacity of one or more individuals to manage resources, ensure confidence, promulgate and enforce laws on equal terms to all members of the community.
Legitimacy of Political Power: Recognition of political power to act on behalf of the community and can only be determined on occasions violently.
Factors of Legitimacy
- Origin of the person with power: The legitimacy comes from their qualities or because they embody a deity (e.g., Pharaohs of Egypt), or as an heir of God (rulers and kings of medieval monarchies), or as having special characteristics (mantle skills, Pinochet and Franco; organizational capacity, Sahrawi tribes; wisely, Heads of Native American tribes).
- End of political power: The legitimacy comes from identifying your order to get the ruler to the community (common good and respect the rights of citizens). Plato and Aristotle argue that the legitimacy of political power comes from the utility to achieve an end.
- Plato: The end is the happiness of all members of the polis and should be based on justice by working for fair laws. Hence, Plato criticizes forms of government that are not fair: Timocracy (warrior caste government), Oligarchy, Democracy (because not all citizens are ready for democracy and can be manipulated), and Tyranny. Only philosophers are entitled to govern because only they know what is right.
- Aristotle (caution): The goal is to ensure equal opportunities for the governed so they can cultivate the fundamental virtue, namely, reason, and can be educated on responsibility. For Aristotle, the legitimate forms of government are monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. Illegitimate forms are tyranny (degradation of monarchy) or oligarchy (degradation of democracy), which consists of the majority rule based on their whims.
- Domain: Legitimacy comes from the authority recognized by governments.
Classification of Societies (Max Weber)
- Charismatic Society: Charisma legitimizes power (e.g., military dictatorship).
- Traditional Society: Tradition legitimizes power (e.g., patriarchy).
- Legal Society: Laws made rationally legitimize power (e.g., representative democracy).
Social Contract Theory
Definition: Theories that explain the origin and legitimacy of political power, based on the recognition of government through a social contract (hypothetical) in which individuals cede rights to a ruler.
Features
- Emerge in modernity (17th-18th centuries). Their starting point is a new conception of man as a rational and autonomous being, and therefore free to agree to organize society (anthropocentric ideal).
- Criticizes theocracies (societies in which political authority comes from God). They are monarchical societies, lifelong, hereditary, in which the divine origin of kings legitimizes power.
- Establish a series of individual rights by our condition of rational beings: the right to freedom, equality, fraternity, solidarity, etc.
- Justify the kind of political organization that is the result of a covenant or contract by which individuals leave an alleged state of nature (a hypothetical situation in which human beings are before reaching an agreement to organize society).