The Concept of Power

Description: This quiz is designed to assess your understanding of the concept of power in philosophy. It covers various aspects of power, including its nature, sources, and exercise.
Number of Questions: 15
Created by:
Tags: philosophy political philosophy the concept of power
Attempted 0/15 Correct 0 Score 0

According to Michel Foucault, power is:

  1. A repressive force that is exercised by the state

  2. A productive force that is inherent in social relations

  3. A neutral tool that can be used for good or evil

  4. A divine right that is bestowed upon rulers


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Foucault argues that power is not simply a repressive force that is exercised by the state, but rather a productive force that is inherent in social relations. He sees power as a web of relations that produce and circulate knowledge, discourse, and subjectivity.

Which of the following is NOT a source of power, according to Max Weber?

  1. Economic resources

  2. Political office

  3. Charismatic leadership

  4. Divine right


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Weber argues that power can be derived from three main sources: economic resources, political office, and charismatic leadership. He does not include divine right as a source of power, as he sees it as a legitimating ideology rather than a real source of power.

The concept of 'soft power' was popularized by:

  1. Joseph Nye

  2. Robert Dahl

  3. Hannah Arendt

  4. Michel Foucault


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Nye coined the term 'soft power' to refer to the ability of a country to influence the behavior of other countries through persuasion and attraction, rather than through coercion or force.

Which of the following is NOT a type of power identified by Steven Lukes?

  1. Decision-making power

  2. Agenda-setting power

  3. Ideological power

  4. Structural power


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Lukes argues that there are three dimensions of power: decision-making power, agenda-setting power, and ideological power. He does not include structural power as a type of power, as he sees it as a condition that enables other forms of power to be exercised.

According to Hannah Arendt, power is:

  1. The ability to act in concert

  2. The ability to dominate others

  3. The ability to achieve one's goals

  4. The ability to control resources


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Arendt argues that power is not simply the ability to dominate others or achieve one's goals, but rather the ability to act in concert with others. She sees power as a collective phenomenon that emerges from human interaction.

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of power, according to Robert Dahl?

  1. It is relational

  2. It is zero-sum

  3. It is transitive

  4. It is fungible


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Dahl argues that power is relational, transitive, and fungible. He does not see it as zero-sum, meaning that it is possible for all parties in a relationship to gain power.

The concept of 'hegemony' was developed by:

  1. Antonio Gramsci

  2. Louis Althusser

  3. Michel Foucault

  4. Judith Butler


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Gramsci developed the concept of hegemony to refer to the dominance of one social class over other classes through cultural and ideological means.

Which of the following is NOT a type of power identified by Bertrand Russell?

  1. Political power

  2. Economic power

  3. Military power

  4. Intellectual power


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Russell argues that there are three main types of power: political power, economic power, and military power. He does not include intellectual power as a type of power, as he sees it as a tool that can be used for good or evil.

The concept of 'power over' and 'power to' was developed by:

  1. Michel Foucault

  2. Hannah Arendt

  3. Steven Lukes

  4. Jürgen Habermas


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Arendt distinguishes between 'power over' and 'power to'. She argues that 'power over' is the ability to dominate others, while 'power to' is the ability to act in concert with others.

Which of the following is NOT a type of power identified by Friedrich Nietzsche?

  1. Will to power

  2. Master morality

  3. Slave morality

  4. Reactive power


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Nietzsche argues that there are two main types of power: will to power and reactive power. He does not include slave morality as a type of power, as he sees it as a reaction to the will to power.

The concept of 'disciplinary power' was developed by:

  1. Michel Foucault

  2. Judith Butler

  3. Slavoj Žižek

  4. Giorgio Agamben


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Foucault developed the concept of disciplinary power to refer to the power that is exercised through institutions such as schools, prisons, and hospitals.

Which of the following is NOT a type of power identified by Judith Butler?

  1. Performative power

  2. Discursive power

  3. Disciplinary power

  4. Biopolitical power


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Butler argues that there are three main types of power: performative power, discursive power, and biopolitical power. She does not include disciplinary power as a type of power, as she sees it as a specific form of biopolitical power.

The concept of 'biopolitical power' was developed by:

  1. Michel Foucault

  2. Giorgio Agamben

  3. Slavoj Žižek

  4. Judith Butler


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Foucault developed the concept of biopolitical power to refer to the power that is exercised over life itself.

Which of the following is NOT a type of power identified by Slavoj Žižek?

  1. Symbolic power

  2. Ideological power

  3. Hegemonic power

  4. Biopolitical power


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Žižek argues that there are three main types of power: symbolic power, ideological power, and hegemonic power. He does not include biopolitical power as a type of power, as he sees it as a specific form of ideological power.

The concept of 'governmentality' was developed by:

  1. Michel Foucault

  2. Judith Butler

  3. Slavoj Žižek

  4. Giorgio Agamben


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Foucault developed the concept of governmentality to refer to the ways in which power is exercised through the management of populations.

- Hide questions