Laura Gougeon

Power & Imagination

Trimble
October 13, 2015
Inquiry #2: Forms of Power
In the reading, Forms of Power by Bertrand Russel he explains that there are several
types of power that exist and use. The forms of power can be first classified under power over
humans or power over dead or non-human forms of life. To narrow it further, the different
forms of power is chosen by the leader or how the situation is being played out, this means it is
possible to have a combination of powers.
I believe that the leaders that came before us who have had power have showed just how
important to use the right type of power in different situations. This is most prevalent when you
look at how Hitler used the power he reigned in a very negative way. At the same time, it showed
just how much power he had and how he took advantage of it (in a very horrendous way) by
turning his entire country against one religion. The form of power a person in control choses is
very important as well because it can be the determining factor to what either makes or breaks a
situation. A good example of this is when the president must decide to send troops to a location
in the world to start a war or if he should sit back and see if the problem will be resolved. In this
case, it's solely up to the president to make the correct decision due to the fact that it can either
resolve the problem or escalate it. This entire article shows just how hard it is to have power
because you have a lot of responsibility and a large group of people to make sure are happy.
The passage in the article that made me question was when Russel said The distinction
between traditional, revolutionary, and naked power is psychological. This quote i so broad and

could have mean so many different things. My conclusion as to why the author said this is to say
that power transitions when situations change and the leaders change their mindset.

Laura Gougeon
Power & Imagination
Trimble
October 13, 2015
Inquiry #2: The Anatomy of Power
The reading The Anatomy of Power by John Kenneth Galbraith is correlated to the article
Forms of Power but goes into deeper context of the different forms of power. It also explains that
there are different instruments for wielding of enforcing power.
I believe the most important point the author makes is that people need to understand
who has the power and who is subject to authority of others. This concept must be understood
especially by the ones who hold the power because they need to be responsible with how they
use it. It is also essential for them to understand that they also have followers and dependents that
need to be lead correctly to have a positively working society. Throughout the article, the author
speaks about the different types of people who hold power and I believe the point he is trying to
portray is that power is a character trait and you either have it or you do not. Jobs that require
someone to lead others can only be held by a person who holds the trait of being able to be
responsible and control power.
The passage I found most interesting in the reading is when Galbraith says Politicians are
frequently described as power-hungry; the obvious implication is that they seek power to
satisfy an appetite. I believe this concept is completely true, but are they like this because they
must be if they want to be elected to office or is there more to it? I think a huge part of it is to be

elected into office, but as I said before, I believe it is also a character trait that you have or you
do not.