Argumentative Essay On Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

Power can turn people into liars and make them greedy for more power which might take away some people’s freedom The Crucible took place in Salem, Massachusetts 1692 innocent people were being falsely accused of doing Witchcraft. McCarthyism took place in the 50s Wheeling,West Virginia in the era influential celebrities in the entertainment industry were particularly targeted for being communist.

eThe Effects of Power Power. It is waved around carelessly because the people that have it want to use it. They believe they can control events or people just because they may be in a high position. Power can corrupt individuals and cause them to act differently. The novels Fahrenheit 451 and The Wave demonstrate how power can change people or communities.

The concept of power is analogous to the deceptive appearance of a rose. Although people are allured to the blossom due its silky petals and crimson color, much like they are attracted to power because of the opportunities it withholds, the blossom also contains thorns, representative of the corruption one can create by abusing their powers. Consequently, it is no surprise that those who hold great power often become corrupt because they utilize their powers for their own selfish desires. There is a great responsibility that is attributed to possessing power, and those who fail to use their influence with good intentions tend to fall victim to their own selfish needs. Meanwhile, powerlessness is far less corruptive than power.

If you are reading your history book, a play, or even watching the news today, you will see how people abuse the power that they have over somethings. There have been many leaders and people who abuse their power over civilization and places. Even the littlest taste of power often leads them to corruption. Many times, citizens and adversaries riot over some of the things that they disagree on and, in some cases, murder comes in to play.

But first what is Power? When researching Power words such as authority, control, direct, command and influence all appear. These words all support the following statement “Power is the ability to influence and control the behaviour of others.” The problem with power is that it often leads to those in power abusing it. As Lord Acton famously quoted “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

(p.178) Jack becomes the new leader of the boys. He has more power to order others. Jack also has the power to force other boys to do whatever he wants. Jack governs the island similar to the dictatorship. For example, Jack says “See?

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows the progression of absolute power, and how ambition can take over one's mind. Stranded on an island after their plane crashed, the boys create their own democracy with one absolute ruler, just like many other governments throughout history. The boys voted Ralph as their ruler, but Jack slowly starts to take some of Ralph’s power, and eventually usurps him as their chief. Lord of the Flies suggests that absolute power is corrupt, and that humans are overly ambitious in wanting to take power from the person who has the most of it. Just like any large group of people, the boys decide that they “ought to have a chief to decide things” (Golding 22).

Power can be used effectively for the overall improvement of a society, but ultimate power has almost no limits and very nearly guarantees absolute

Everyone, at one point in their lives has wanted power more than anything. Those who do get it have to make the decision whether they want to use it for good or evil. Power can turn a person into something they never dreamed they would become because it starts to take over their lives and people do not know what to do with so much power. There are many examples of power in the play Macbeth and every person that got it used it in very different ways. This caused many changes in people from turning from good to evil or evil to good.

Through examination of Lord of the Flies, Golding seems to share this point of view. When left in an environment lacking authority, the boys attempt to follow the fundamental rule of nature, electing Ralph as their leader and for a time, following his rules. However, when another boy desired the same position, competition arose and Ralph was revealed to be less powerful and disrespected by the group. Jack found his power in feeding off the other boys’ fears, and using violent, animalistic techniques, which proved to be what they truly desired. War broke out between the two, as Hobbes predicted would happen in such circumstances, and morality was only restored when a powerful figure of authority finally arrived on the island.

In this instance Jack tells the boys that he somehow has control over the beast. This shows how Jack uses the beast to draw the children towards him as the leader of the group. He always desires to rule over the boys and the beast is his scapegoat to do

The quote by Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” is a good example of what is happening in the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. The pigs immediately gain control and leadership of the farm and eventually start to abuse the power. The pigs abuse their power by changing the commandments, living in luxury, and by treating the animals poorly. First and foremost, the pigs start changing the commandments to fit their acts and desires. In the beginning of the story, the animals decide on fair rules that everyone on the farm should abide by.

When somebody receives incredible power, they also receive a large burden of responsibility. Some people, such as Napoleon, disregard these responsibilities and become corrupt. In reality, we have seen this in leaders such as Stalin, who became corrupt once into power. In “Animal Farm”, Napoleon, a totalitarian pig, is a great example of how too much power is equal to corruption.

Power can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In history what was viewed as a villain, is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is a tricky thing.

These are the definitions of power. Power is an interesting topic, and it will bring many opinions from each person. People like to discuss this topic with questions like, “How do I get power?” , “How do I use power responsibly?”, and “How much power is too much power?” Many people like the concept that everyone can get powerful.