Power process
Encyclopedia
The power process is a theoretical process necessary to fulfil one's psychological need
to exert power to fulfil goals, discussed in Theodore Kaczynski
's manifesto, Industrial Society and Its Future. Kaczynski suggested that the need to undergo the power process was biological, and used historical and modern examples to demonstrate the importance of this need.
Kaczynski defined the power process as not necessarily being the need to exert power over others, in fact, most people living in a more natural environment wouldn't have the desire to. He defines the power process in terms of the need of people to autonomously control and dictate the course of their own lives.
Kaczynski wrote that the power process has four necessary requirements. They are setting goals, exerting serious effort towards achieving one's goals, fulfilling one's goals with a reasonable success rate, and fulfilling one's goals autonomously. He suggested that, while it is important for most people to have a considerable degree of autonomy, some people have little or no need for it.
The power process was a concept
basic to almost all of the other concepts and ideas Kaczynski wrote about in his manifesto.
's theory of self-realization
. Elster notes that key requirements of a job that provides self-realization include autonomy and feedback.
Another equivalent of the process is "self-actualization" in Abraham Maslow
's humanistic psychology.
Kaczynski's theory is also echoed by opponent-process theory
, in particular Frank J. Landy's extension of it to job satisfaction.
Psychology studies have found an innate desire for people to engage in the power process; in the absence of other incentives, children will choose tasks with just the right level of difficulty to advance their skills.
Need
A need is something that is necessary for organisms to live a healthy life. Needs are distinguished from wants because a deficiency would cause a clear negative outcome, such as dysfunction or death. Needs can be objective and physical, such as food, or they can be subjective and psychological,...
to exert power to fulfil goals, discussed in Theodore Kaczynski
Theodore Kaczynski
Theodore John "Ted" Kaczynski , also known as the "Unabomber" , is an American mathematician, social critic, anarcho-primitivist, and Neo-Luddite who engaged in a mail bombing campaign that spanned nearly 20 years, killing three people and injuring 23 others.Kaczynski was born in Chicago, Illinois,...
's manifesto, Industrial Society and Its Future. Kaczynski suggested that the need to undergo the power process was biological, and used historical and modern examples to demonstrate the importance of this need.
Kaczynski defined the power process as not necessarily being the need to exert power over others, in fact, most people living in a more natural environment wouldn't have the desire to. He defines the power process in terms of the need of people to autonomously control and dictate the course of their own lives.
Kaczynski wrote that the power process has four necessary requirements. They are setting goals, exerting serious effort towards achieving one's goals, fulfilling one's goals with a reasonable success rate, and fulfilling one's goals autonomously. He suggested that, while it is important for most people to have a considerable degree of autonomy, some people have little or no need for it.
The power process was a concept
Concept
The word concept is used in ordinary language as well as in almost all academic disciplines. Particularly in philosophy, psychology and cognitive sciences the term is much used and much discussed. WordNet defines concept: "conception, construct ". However, the meaning of the term concept is much...
basic to almost all of the other concepts and ideas Kaczynski wrote about in his manifesto.
Relation to other theories
The power process is much like Jon ElsterJon Elster
Jon Elster is a Norwegian social and political theorist who has authored works in the philosophy of social science and rational choice theory...
's theory of self-realization
Self-realization
Self-realization is a self-awakening.Self-realization may also refer to:* Self-Realization Fellowship, worldwide spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda...
. Elster notes that key requirements of a job that provides self-realization include autonomy and feedback.
Another equivalent of the process is "self-actualization" in Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Harold Maslow was an American professor of psychology at Brandeis University, Brooklyn College, New School for Social Research and Columbia University who created Maslow's hierarchy of needs...
's humanistic psychology.
Kaczynski's theory is also echoed by opponent-process theory
Opponent-process theory
Opponent-process theory is a universal psychological and neurological model proposed by Ewald Hering to account for a wide range of behaviors including color vision; this model was expanded by his co-worker at the University of Pennsylvania, Richard Solomon, to explain addictive and emotional...
, in particular Frank J. Landy's extension of it to job satisfaction.
Psychology studies have found an innate desire for people to engage in the power process; in the absence of other incentives, children will choose tasks with just the right level of difficulty to advance their skills.
See also
- Kaczynski's diagram illustrating alleged results of disrupted power process