The Nature of Power Essay -- Power Society Nationalism Essays

The Nature of Power In 1948, the OECD was formed by several European nations in what would become the first step toward the formation of the European Union. The creation of the EU was revolutionary in that nations gave up unprecedented amounts of their sovereignty, resulting in such acts as voluntarily subjecting themselves to monitoring of war materials (coal and steel) and culminating in the institution of the Euro and integration of European economies and societies, and politics. The success of the EU in the last few years is amazing not just because of its economic achievements, but because it signifies the first successful surrender of nationalism and the transfer of loyalty to a regional level, notions which would have been considered impossible at the beginning of the 20th century. Taking into account the strength of nationalism in the 20th century, the phenomena surrounding the formation of the EU are hard to comprehend until the nature of power and its attraction to people is considered. Power plays a large part in human psychology, beginning when the infant cries in order to draw attention to itself and continuing as kids learn exclusion, join cliques, and as adults compete for respect and influence. Power is exercised from the most basic everyday relationships to the international stage. It is the ultimate motivator in society. Accepting this, it is easy to understand that the sacrifices made by the EU were made in the pursuit of greater power through collective unity, which overruled human affiliations with nationalism and the idea of sovereignty. The question we must ask is why power is so powerful a force. Power forms the basis of society because people want to live secure, respected lives. Simmel ... ...rol of an otherwise chaotic existence. Power is the tool for maintaining a stable, and as such a secure life. Once stripped of all excesses and perversions, power comes down to avoiding the unknown and unsafe. It’s all about security. If we can accept that people are naturally predisposed to living secure lives devoid of real danger and instability, it is obvious, especially in these timers, that power is not only the basis of society, but is the one thing constant in life. Sources Cited: Bataille, Georges. Blue of Noon London: Marion Boyars Publishers LTD, 1957 Camus, Albert. The Fall New York: Vintage Books, 1956 Highmore, Ben. Everyday Life and Culture Theory. New York: Routledge, 2002 Kafka, Franz. The Trial New York: Shockden Books, 1998 Quotes Used: Card, Orson Scott. The Crystal City. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2003. The Nature of Power Essay -- Power Society Nationalism Essays The Nature of Power In 1948, the OECD was formed by several European nations in what would become the first step toward the formation of the European Union. The creation of the EU was revolutionary in that nations gave up unprecedented amounts of their sovereignty, resulting in such acts as voluntarily subjecting themselves to monitoring of war materials (coal and steel) and culminating in the institution of the Euro and integration of European economies and societies, and politics. The success of the EU in the last few years is amazing not just because of its economic achievements, but because it signifies the first successful surrender of nationalism and the transfer of loyalty to a regional level, notions which would have been considered impossible at the beginning of the 20th century. Taking into account the strength of nationalism in the 20th century, the phenomena surrounding the formation of the EU are hard to comprehend until the nature of power and its attraction to people is considered. Power plays a large part in human psychology, beginning when the infant cries in order to draw attention to itself and continuing as kids learn exclusion, join cliques, and as adults compete for respect and influence. Power is exercised from the most basic everyday relationships to the international stage. It is the ultimate motivator in society. Accepting this, it is easy to understand that the sacrifices made by the EU were made in the pursuit of greater power through collective unity, which overruled human affiliations with nationalism and the idea of sovereignty. The question we must ask is why power is so powerful a force. Power forms the basis of society because people want to live secure, respected lives. Simmel ... ...rol of an otherwise chaotic existence. Power is the tool for maintaining a stable, and as such a secure life. Once stripped of all excesses and perversions, power comes down to avoiding the unknown and unsafe. It’s all about security. If we can accept that people are naturally predisposed to living secure lives devoid of real danger and instability, it is obvious, especially in these timers, that power is not only the basis of society, but is the one thing constant in life. Sources Cited: Bataille, Georges. Blue of Noon London: Marion Boyars Publishers LTD, 1957 Camus, Albert. The Fall New York: Vintage Books, 1956 Highmore, Ben. Everyday Life and Culture Theory. New York: Routledge, 2002 Kafka, Franz. The Trial New York: Shockden Books, 1998 Quotes Used: Card, Orson Scott. The Crystal City. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2003.