Hobbes V.S Darwin on Power

Power is a complex concept that has been discussed since early ages. While the term power may refer to the physical definition of the rate of doing work, many philosophers may look at the word in its relation to human behavior. In a social context, power can be seen as having the authority to control another’s behavior using authority or force. Many philosophers alike have discussed the concept of power and how it shapes human mechanism and the society that we live in. They have determined whether power is an essential force for society to function and what circumstances may give an individual power over another individual. Two philosophers that discuss power, its meaning and its importance in philosophy are Thomas Hobbes and Charles Darwin. Thomas Hobbes in his book “The Leviathan”, emphasized that power is the driving force of the world. He argued that we are all under certain different power districts, meaning every human being falls under a superior. Hobbes categorized power into two types; Natural Power and Instrumental Power. Natural power as Hobbes stated “is the eminence of the faculties of body or mind, as extraordinary strength, form, prudence, arts, eloquence, liberty, nobility.”(Hobbes, 78). This means power that is derived naturally without effort. For example, an earthquake has greater power, or strength than a human being. Natural power is power that an individual cannot have any control over. Instrumental powers are ”those powers which, acquired by these or by fortune are means and instruments to acquire more, as riches, reputation, friends, and the secret working of God, which men call good luck.” (Hobbes, 78). Instrumental powers are powers achieved by the use of material or instrumental objects e.g being rich is to have power, having friends is to have power, a good reputation is to have power. Hobbes further stated that it is absolutely necessary for an individual’s power to be based on another individual’s judgment of the former. If an individual has power in the eyes of others, he/she will have a greater value than an individual who holds less power over others. An individual who has value in the eyes of others because he/she may be in assistance to them in their time of need. He claimed that a person with greater value is most likely honored, whereas an individual with less value is dishonored. Hobbes stated the importance of power by stating that being honored creates fear in others, therefore a powerful individual is heard even though people may or may not agree with him/her. He stated that it is the fear of the powerful that drives human beings to remain in a social contract and obey those who are in power. If there were a world without power and mankind was born with no laws, we would kill each other and fight because humans believe that we are all capable of doing what others are, if not better. This is why power is important and humans have developed laws, rules and regulations that bind us and put power over us so that we can remain in peace. Charles Darwin also talks about power and its importance in human beings, but his idea of power is somewhat different than that of Hobbes and is discussed below. Charles Darwin’s passage in “On Human Nature” , discusses philosophy and human nature from a scientific perspective. Unlike Hobbes, Darwin did not claim that humans were superior over one another, rather equal. Darwin stated that humans are material beings that came from ape- like creatures that developed social qualities to be able to interact with one another. The social qualities he found in humans included “some degree of sympathy, fidelity and courage.” (Darwin, 388). Darwin introduced the idea of “Kin Selection” to explain sacrificial behaviors in human beings, where humans in certain tribes would be of assistance to one another or sacrifice themselves in order for the tribe to achieve success and have power that way over other tribes. For example, an individual cannot play soccer against a team unless s/he has a team themselves. Even with a team, an individual cannot expect to be victorious unless s/he can rely on other team members’ assistance and pass them the soccer ball while on the field. Darwin claimed that morality was a crucial element in a tribe’s success and if tribes were to follow the Kin Selection process, “the number of well endowed men will thus everywhere tend to rise and increase” (Darwin, 389). This example shows that Darwin focused on power, but not from an individualist point of view. He argued that the element of “fitness” in human beings were the family and not the individual itself. For Darwin, to be able to survive was the greatest power of all and having good attributes passed down to generations allowed humans to have a greater chance of survival than others. Although Hobbes and Darwin’s theories on power are distinct, they are held together by a similar force; human beings themselves. Hobbes stated that to have power is only because others think that they need to place the individual as a superior; “honor consists only in the opinion of power.” (Hobbes, 83). Darwin stated that groups worked better than individuals to achieve greater success; “a high standard of morality gives slight or no advantage to each individual man and his children over the other men of the same tribe, yet the increase of well endowed men and an advancement of morality will certainly give an immense advantage to one tribe over another.” (Darwin, 389). The underlying concept here in these quotes is that humans need each other in order to distribute power amongst individuals in society. Some humans may work together to give a single individual power (Hobbes), while other groups work together to give power to the group as a whole (Darwin). I tend to understand and reflect on both Hobbe’s and Darwin’s theory, but I reflect on Hobbe’s theory more than Darwin’s. This is because power, in my opinion in today’s era is based on the instruments an individual uses to attain it. I feel personally that the world is more individualist and people focus on themselves, their careers and their personal life more than working with others. To have power, in my opinion, is to have the ability to make good friends or have followers that will listen and agree with what one has to say. I do not think that one has to be a leader to have power, there are many individuals out there who are valued the same way many leaders are, i.e celebrities. Although one has more authority over the other, i.e a celebrity has to follow laws created by the leader, the other may have more authority over others in other aspects of life e.g people want to hear about a celebrities tips in beauty, fitness and health. A modern instrument used to achieve power in today’s world is social media. Social media is a tremendous tool for an individual to gain value and honor in the eyes of other individuals. For example, an individual opens a YouTube account and talks about makeup and beauty. If other individuals like what she has to say, they will subscribe to her channel. Within months, she will have hundreds of thousands of subscribers. When she uploads a random video stating her opinion on healthcare, it is without doubt that her voice will be heard by all those subscribers. It is important for leaders and non-leaders alike who have power, to use social media as a platform and inform their followers of their opinions, as the world today revolves around it. In conclusion, power is a very difficult idea to grasp and understand. It depends more on materials and tools used by individuals than the natural power of individuals themselves. There is no certainty that power is everlasting, unless it is natural strength. Those in power should be aware that the world is constantly changing, and it is important to keep up with that change to continue having power, as none is valued nor honored out of fear or respect unless s/he can keep up with the world and provide answers to other individuals. There can be no greater man/woman in today’s world with power than that who respects and values others. This ensures peace and success in today’s world among individuals and those individuals in power.