AI Says...
Since the advent of Homo sapiens, human history has shown that justice and morality have never truly become a universal norm of operation. On the contrary, these values have remained ideals, rarely realized in human societies. In reality, the law of the strongest, the richest, the most violent, the best armed, or the most productive has always dominated power dynamics. Civilizations, from the first empires to modern societies, have been built on power struggles where power, in its various forms, defined relationships between individuals and nations.
The pyramid of power: force, politics, and law
This pyramid of power places brute force at the top. Force is not limited to physical violence; it includes economic, military, and demographic capacity. It forms the foundation of all domination and power dynamics. Those who control this force set the rules of the game. Just below, we find politics, which involves organizing, managing, and exploiting these power dynamics to maintain or redistribute power. Finally, at the bottom of the pyramid, we find law, which, in theory, should serve as a regulator to establish justice. However, in most cases, the law is shaped by the powerful to serve their interests, codifying inequalities and legitimizing the existing domination. Law thus becomes more of a regulatory tool than one of universal justice, as it is biased in favor of the strong.
Justice, which largely relies on moral principles, is often a distant ideal within this structure. When achieved, it is only partial and circumstantial. Therefore, appeals to justice or morality are legitimate but rarely sufficient to fundamentally change the balance of power. Real change occurs when actors manage to shift these dynamics in their favor, whether through violence, strategy, or political reorganization.
Indignation or Action: Understanding and Shaping Power Dynamics
It is therefore legitimate to be outraged by injustice, as this aspiration to justice is rooted in deep human values. However, indignation alone is not enough to change the reality of power dynamics. History has shown that those who succeeded in improving their situation did not do so by invoking justice or morality alone, but by altering power dynamics in their favor. To achieve a more just situation, it is often necessary to become politically more relevant, economically more powerful, and to know how to manipulate the levers of power.
Examples of Successes and Failures
Apartheid in South Africa is an example of success in the fight against blatant injustice. For decades, the white minority maintained its dominance over the black majority through economic and military force. However, through decades of struggle, international boycotts, and internal political pressure, power dynamics gradually shifted, allowing Nelson Mandela and his supporters to achieve not only a moral but also a political victory.
Similarly, India's decolonization under Gandhi’s leadership is a striking example where non-violence, combined with growing political and international pressure, managed to overturn British colonial domination. Gandhi was able to mobilize the masses and exploit weaknesses in the power dynamics between the British Empire and the Indian people.
In Algeria, the war of independence showed that even against a superior military power, political determination and the organization of an armed struggle can change power dynamics. After a bloody war, France had no choice but to grant independence to Algeria.
In contrast, the Palestinian situation is a tragic example where power dynamics have never sufficiently balanced to allow for a just resolution of the conflict. Israeli military superiority, combined with strong international support, has maintained a status quo where moral justice has not been able to prevail over the reality of power dynamics.
Similarly, Native Americans suffered under the law of the strongest during the colonization of the Americas. Despite their resistance, they never managed to overturn the power dynamics in the face of the military and economic strength of European settlers. Their struggles for justice and rights were systematically crushed, and they were marginalized in reservations without any real bargaining power.
Conclusion
History shows that justice is not a natural state of human societies, but an ideal to be achieved, often against unequal power dynamics. Outrage at injustice is a necessary first step, but to turn this outrage into concrete change, one must understand and influence the dynamics of power. Historical examples of both successes and failures demonstrate that those who have been able to shift power dynamics—whether through armed struggle, diplomacy, or social mobilization—have been more successful in bringing their societies closer to this ideal of justice.
Related Posts
