ABSTRACT
A key essay by Kenneth Boulding on the concept of power—“Power and the Betterment of Society” (1991)—was written for a well-read audience, but not necessarily for economic and social theorists. It contains, however, a very accessible discussion of how we can move in the direction of betterment based on Boulding’s extremely sophisticated theoretical system that encompasses theories of human behavior, the role of power, social valuation, conflict resolution, and the meaning of human and social betterment. In this commentary, the starting point will be explicating Boulding’s theoretical system from the perspective of his theory of power.
