Many rulers tend to believe that with power comes full control over people and their society. Rulers such as these come to power as dictators; where the government and social class is ruled by one powerful individual. Many authors such as Machiavelli, John Locke and,Karl Marx see and classify dictatorship as full control over social power. But, disagree with one another views when it comes to their interpretations behind the essential factors a ruler do in order to run and built up a proper society using the influences in a dictatorship.
For instance, Machiavelli shines a positive light on dictatorship as he classifies it and as the essential factor for power with the use of no morality. While as for Locke, he argues that all people are free by nature except their power does not compare to the Kings as he chosen by God. Locke disagrees with a dictatorship as he demands that in a proper society individuals have the right to life, liberty, and property.
While in the contrary, Karl Marx, believes that a well functional society is one with Communism as there no private property and equality is well distributed within the society. Yet, Machiavelli and John Locke believe that some sort of government is necessary for a proper society although its effects on who is seen above the law, private property and morality, where as Karl Marx thinks ones private property is abolished there is no need for a government. Yet, superficial issues such as those, hold a deeper meanings to each author as it classifies their form of government as effective or no effective by their use of power and control.
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In Machiavelli’s “The Prince”, he argues a dictator must have full control over his dictatorship as the power that comes with a dictatorship is greater to maintain than to control. Machiavelli argues that in order to maintain a huge amount of power a dictator must use control and power over their people. He believes that a ruler must be loved by his people as Machiavelli states, “Men worry less about doing an injury to one who makes himself loved than to one who makes himself feared.”
He uses this to argue that in order for a dictator to maintain control he must be not feared but loved as the society will have no reason to over throw their ruler if he is loved. Machiavelli clearly believes a societies fear will over throw a dictator, as he makes it a point to address that a ruler should not interfere with this peoples property as it can cause a revolution to over throw the dictators power. Through out his book he touches on the subject of fear quite often. He does this to deeply express the importance behind the peoples trust and care.
In many cases, John Locke would agree with Machiavelli’s statement above as he urges that people become accustomed slowly so if the individuals were rebel and revolutionizes it is because of a ruler use vengeance and an excessive use of power . But, agrees that the peoples love is built on trust and not fear. Locke believes its the kings job to bind
“himself by a double oath, to the observation of the fundamental laws of his kingdom; tacitly, as by being a king, and so bound to protect as well the people, as the laws of his kingdom; and expressly, by his oath at his coronation, so as every just king, in a settled kingdom, is bound to observe that paction made to his people, by his laws, in framing his government agreeable thereunto, according to that paction which God made with Noah after the deluge. Hereafter, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease while the earth remaineth.” (John locke, chp 18)
He does this to express the commitment that comes with being a king as they are chosen under God. For a ruler to rule according to his laws in doing so he breaks the oath he took with God when being named king. In addiction, the quote further contributes to a rulers fear of fear as he is not only feared by his people but humiliated under God as he broke his oath to protect and care for his people natural laws as a ruler should know right from wrong. The trust of the society is necessary for a ruler to maintain in power because if he is loved he is seen above the law, while as if he is feared, he is nothing more than a bad ruler who should be overthrown.
In addition, John Locke agrees with the control of a monarchy but he advocates for individuals right to life, liberty and property as these are given under God. Locke classifies this as he defines this to be natural rights. These rights were given to the people by god so they may be free and well off. He them goes on to stating that although God gave all individuals common wealth those who work for their property should not be taken as he states
“But the chief matter of property being now not the fruits of the earth, and the beasts that subsist on it, but the earth itself; as that which takes in and carries with it all the rest; I think it is plain, that property in that too is acquired as the former. As much land as a man tills, plants, improves, cultivates, and can use the product of, so much is his property. He by his labour does, as it were, inclose it from the common. Nor will it invalidate his right, to say every body else has an equal title to it; and therefore he cannot appropriate, he cannot inclose, without the consent of all his fellow-commoners, all mankind.
God, when he gave the world in common to all mankind, commanded man also to labour, and the penury of his condition required it of him. God and his reason commanded him to subdue the earth, i.e. improve it for the benefit of life, and therein lay out something upon it that was his own, his labour. He that in obedience to this command of God, subdued, tilled and sowed any part of it, thereby annexed to it something that was his property, which another had no title to, nor could without injury take from him.”
Locke, claimed that each individual was given the same opportunity by God yet, what they do in order to get out of poverty is theirs to keep as they worked hard for what they earned. He does this to show the symbolism behind Individuals property because if it was rightfully worked for it is much more than just an object it that individuals hard work and it should not be shared; allowing for social classes to be form.
In the contrary, Karl Mark disagrees with John Locke as he envisions a proper society as world with the abolishment of Private property. He believed that ones social class dictated their social standing in the economy. To this Karl Marx’s goes on to fight for a social change as he saw how modern Bourgeois took advantage of the Proletarians in Germany through the use of capital; Marx then goes on to state “ From the moment when labor can no longer be converted into capital, money, or rent, into a social power capable of being monopolized, I.e, from the moment when individual property can no longer be transformed into bourgeois property, into capital, from that moment, you say, individuality vanishes.” (Marx, 25)
Marx’s argues that with when individuals in the higher class incorporate capitalism into an economy those who work for them lose their chance at becoming successful as their labor is now owned by the factory worker. Karl Marx does not agree with John Locke views on property because he would argue that although social classes help the government it undermines the value of labor as workers as they are under valued and overworked. In addition, he would conclude that with communism comes the abolishment for government so social classes would not be needed if people were equal. So he calls out to the proletarians “Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution.
The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all counties unite.” (Marx,44) He does this to expose the cruel and unjust ways of the bourgeois and how liberating it is for the working class as they are now free and able to contribute their labor effectively to the society.
The use of power is not new when coming into power. Power is the ability to do something, but this definition is superficial as power is so much more than that. Machiavelli agrees with excessive amount of power but he is still fearful for the consequences that come with using power. As dictators like him fear over using all their power against their people because it can lead to their down fall. While, John Locke disagrees with the use of power as it enslaves individuals to the laws of a Tyranny and does nothing to protect natural rights. Power enslaves but it also liberates as Karl Marx uses the power of his book to promote the governments unjust ways of ruling and allowing individuals to control others. Power is not something that is given nor obtained power is the illusion of control.
