Лекция: The biological concept of the power
Representatives of the biological concept of the power consider it as the mechanism of bridling of the human aggression put in the most fundamental instincts of the person as biological being. So, the French political scientist M.Marsel (1889-1973) considered that «the power not is the fact specifically human, it has preconditions and roots in biological structure, which обща to us with animals». In structure of the biological properties inherent both to people, and animals, aggression acts as an instinct of the struggle directed against representatives of the same individual
The Bihevioristsky concept of the power. The behavioural understanding of the power became more active to be developed in the thirties XIX century thanks to introduction in a political science бихевиоризма. This event has made appreciable impact on political thought and has been connected with names of the American scientists of C.Merriama (1874-1953), G.Lassuela (1902-1978) and English researcher Dzh. Кетлина (1896-1975). They deduced imperious relations from human nature, its natural properties, refusing moral estimations of a policy. The person was considered as «an ambitious animal», at the heart of acts and which actions the aspiration (more often not realised) to the power lies. The aspiration to subordinate to the will of other individuals represents itself as dominating motive of political activity of the concrete person. Political process бихевиористы considered as collision of individual aspirations to the power which wins the strongest. The balance of aspirations to the power of political forces is provided with system of political institutes. Infringement of balance of political forces leads to crises and conflicts in a society.
The psychoanalytic concept of the power. The attention to unconscious motives of political behaviour has caused domination in 1950-1960th within the limits of the behavioural approach of the psychoanalytic concept of the power. The power was considered as a way of domination unconscious over human consciousness. The individual submits to the forces which are out of its consciousness. It results from that to human mentality means of the latent and open manipulation set special installation. Suppressing rational motives of behaviour, manipulation provides domination irrational in political activity (fear, aggression, aspiration to destruction). So, the American psychoanalyst G.Lassuel defined the power as means of indemnification of human inferiority. He noticed: «the Power helps to overcome low self-esteem». Sources of a low self-estimation are covered in childhood experience — children's fears, conflicts, envy, jealousy. Investigating biographies of many politicians (M.Luther, M.Gandi, V.Wilson, F.D.Roosevelt), he comes to a conclusion that they suffered from an inferiority complex which have overcome thanks to the aspiration to dominate over minds of people. G.Lassuel has put into circulation concept «the imperious person».
The mythological concept of the power. The French political scientist L.Djugi in «a constitutional law Course», proving law of division of a society on «correcting» and «operated», «strong» and «weak», defended idea of a natural origin of the power. The power it connected possession with the physical, moral, religious, intellectual and economic superiority of one people over others. Being more strongly the fellow tribesmen, the first imposed the second the will and reached the desirable purposes. Finally they also became a class of governors. Thus, natural division of people into «strong» and «weak» has caused their right to the power. However for giving of legality (legitimacy), to the imperious claims «strong» used myths about divine character of the power and about «a public will», the power embodied in institutes. Greatness of the power was supported, on L. Дюги, at the expense of prevalence in collective memory of these two myths peculiar to two various stages of evolution of a human society. In traditional societies the person of the governor was idolised: it appeared either the descendant of a deity, or a deity. In premodern and modern societies the myth about «a public will» which should submit to «an individual will» „strongest“ was used. The Structurally functional concept of the power. Within the limits of the structurally functional analysis which founder T.Parsons is considered, the power is considered as the relation of unequal subjects, whose behaviour is caused by roles carried out by them (for example, a role operating or operated). Thus it is supposed that the social role defines style (type, character, the maintenance) the behaviour expected from the person corresponding to position occupied with it in a society (status).
The Konfliktologichesky theory of the power. From positions of the theory of social conflictology which was developed by K.Marx, F.Engels, V.I.Lenin and their followers, the power is considered as the relation of domination and submission of one class by another. The nature of the given domination is caused by an economic inequality, a place and a class role in economic system of a society
The Dualistichesky concept of the power. So, the French political scientist M.Djuverzhe has allocated two elements in the power: material compulsion; belief, belief from submitting that such submission is laudable, fairly, lawfully. In the absence of the second element it any more the power, and domination. Domination — narrower concept, than the power, also is connected with application of force which can be expressed in different forms, such as physical violence, economic compulsion, pressure from the organised collective etc. the Power can be carried out and without direct violence, leaning against force of authority (probability of voluntary submission). Marking presence of two elements of the power, M.Djuverzhe underlined that as sources of realisation of the power serve violence and beliefs of subjects of political process, first of all their belief in necessity of the power in general and belief in its legitimacy (legality, justice). The power duality (it is not casual M.Djuverzhe figuratively names its two-faced Janus) is expressed that it, on the one hand, is the tool of domination of one groups of a society over others, and with another — acts as an effective remedy of integration and maintenance of social solidarity of all members of a society for the general blessing.