Power: Its Forms, Bases, and UsesTransaction Publishers - 326 pages In one grand effort, this is an anatomy of power, a history of the ways in which it has been defined, and a study of its forms (force, manipulation, authority, and persuasion), its bases (individual and collective resources, political mobilization), and its uses. The issues that Dennis Wrong addresses range from the philosophical and ethical to the psychological and political. Much of the work is punctuated with careful examples from history. While the author illuminates his discussion with references to Weber, Marx, Freud, Plato, Dostoevsky, Orwell, Hobbes, Arendt, and Machiavelli, he keeps his arguments grounded in contemporary practical issues, such as class conflicts, multi-party politics, and parent-child relationships. In his new introduction, prepared for the 1995 edition of Power, the author reconsiders the concept of power, now locating it in the broader traditions of the social sciences rather than as a series of actions and actors within the sociological tradition. As a result, Wrong emphasizes such major distinctions as "power over" and "power to," and various conflations of power as commonly used. The new opening provides the reader with a deeper appreciation of the non-reductionist character of the book as a whole. |
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acceptance achieve action actors actual American appeal argued become belief Books called capacity Chapter claim coercion coercive collective resources command competent compliance concept concerned consensus constitute course create critics defined definition democracy democratic direct discussion distinction domination economic editor effects Elite example exercise existence fact fear force forms of power Free goals greater groups Guenther Roth historical human individual influence intensity interaction interests issues latter leaders least legitimate authority less limited London major manipulation Marxism mass means mobilization motives movements nature norms noted objective organization particular party persuasion political position possess possible potential power holder power relations power subject present produce reference regarded represent result Review Robert role rule sense social society Sociology structure suggest term Theory threat totalitarian University Press values violence Weber York