ABSTRACT
This chapter tries to answer the questions: why do people want power? is it a nearly universal object of human striving? and what good is it? The idea that a 'power drive', a 'will to power' or even a 'lust for power' is a major constituent of human nature is widely entertained and has deep roots in Western political thought. The characterization of 'power over' as a zero-sum concept has become sufficiently widespread to justify usage of the term to label the whole debate. The collective power of organized and solidary groups controlling the aggregated resources of individuals are capable of achieving goals far beyond the capacities of individuals. Collective power is located in institutions and organizational structures rather than in diffusely solidary quasi-groups such as classes. R. G. Collingwood's claim for the ubiquity of power relations is based on the need for co-ordination of the activities of plural actors striving to achieve a common goal.
