Topics Ethics

Question Is it wrong to want power, just for the sake of power?

Accepted:
June 24, 2010

Comments

David Brink

June 24, 2010 (changed June 24, 2010) Permalink

Most people think that power, like money, is an instrumental good -- not good in itself, but rather good, if at all and because, it enables us to do other things that are good, prudentially or morally. And, of course, power can often be instrumentally bad, insofar as it enables us to do imprudent or immoral things. If that common view about the value of power is correct, then it would be inappropriate to value power for its own sake.

Log in to post comments

Source URL: https://askphilosophers.org/question/3278

© 2005-2025 AskPhilosophers.org