left for dead
31st December 2003, 08:55
From the Unabomber's Manifesto(Theodore Kaczynski):
33. Human beings have a need (probably based in biology) for something that we will call the "power process." This is closely related to the need for power (which is widely recognized) but is not quite the same thing. The power process has four elements. The three most clear-cut of these we call goal, effort and attainment of goal. (Everyone needs to have goals whose attainment requires effort, and needs to succeed in attaining at least some of his goals.) The fourth element is more difficult to define and may not be necessary for everyone. We call it autonomy and will discuss it later (paragraphs 42-44).
Generalizing, humans, at the germinal level, strive for power(or the power process). Power, which comes in many forms, such as in a capitalist society, money = power, so people want money to have power, in a monarchy/any stratified body, any position in the hierarchy = power.
Motives for power change in a society. I believe that capitalism combines the already present(in humans) need for power(or the power process), and latches it onto blind, ascending materialistic greed. Having this material covetousness creates GOALS in a person(at least that's what they want in order for you to buy shit). Why do you think people are taught(at least in the U$A) in school about GOALS at an early age? Then, we are introduced to the wonderful life of careers, and adolescents then construct the common goals such as going to college, getting a good job, getting married, etc. This, we are told, will lead to a happier(notice happier) than other less fortunate individuals.)
The basic question is, how do humans achieve fulfillment? Fulfillment, in the sense of happiness, varies from person to person. Someone might just want to get married, raise a family, etc. That would make him/her happy. On the other hand, take someone that wants to avenge his/her sister getting raped by someone, and the only thing that would make him/her happy would be killing the perpetrator. It would be his/her goal to kill the guy, and once that is accomplished, the person would have gone through the power process and have achieved it, which would create a sense of fulfillment.
Sooooo, I think this can be applied to a communist/socialist/anarchist society where the power process can be used to concoct and achieve goals on individual/communal basis. Thus, fulfilling both society and individual in order to have a truly happy state.
Just food for thought.
<_<
33. Human beings have a need (probably based in biology) for something that we will call the "power process." This is closely related to the need for power (which is widely recognized) but is not quite the same thing. The power process has four elements. The three most clear-cut of these we call goal, effort and attainment of goal. (Everyone needs to have goals whose attainment requires effort, and needs to succeed in attaining at least some of his goals.) The fourth element is more difficult to define and may not be necessary for everyone. We call it autonomy and will discuss it later (paragraphs 42-44).
Generalizing, humans, at the germinal level, strive for power(or the power process). Power, which comes in many forms, such as in a capitalist society, money = power, so people want money to have power, in a monarchy/any stratified body, any position in the hierarchy = power.
Motives for power change in a society. I believe that capitalism combines the already present(in humans) need for power(or the power process), and latches it onto blind, ascending materialistic greed. Having this material covetousness creates GOALS in a person(at least that's what they want in order for you to buy shit). Why do you think people are taught(at least in the U$A) in school about GOALS at an early age? Then, we are introduced to the wonderful life of careers, and adolescents then construct the common goals such as going to college, getting a good job, getting married, etc. This, we are told, will lead to a happier(notice happier) than other less fortunate individuals.)
The basic question is, how do humans achieve fulfillment? Fulfillment, in the sense of happiness, varies from person to person. Someone might just want to get married, raise a family, etc. That would make him/her happy. On the other hand, take someone that wants to avenge his/her sister getting raped by someone, and the only thing that would make him/her happy would be killing the perpetrator. It would be his/her goal to kill the guy, and once that is accomplished, the person would have gone through the power process and have achieved it, which would create a sense of fulfillment.
Sooooo, I think this can be applied to a communist/socialist/anarchist society where the power process can be used to concoct and achieve goals on individual/communal basis. Thus, fulfilling both society and individual in order to have a truly happy state.
Just food for thought.
<_<