Power and Responsibility: Should We Spare the King's Head? | Zendy

Schaap Andrew | Zendy

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Power and Responsibility: Should We Spare the King's Head?

Author(s) -

Schaap Andrew

Publication year - 2000

Publication title -

politics

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.855

H-Index - 32

eISSN - 1467-9256

pISSN - 0263-3957

DOI - 10.1111/1467-9256.00122

Subject(s) - power (physics) , contingency , action (physics) , head (geology) , politics , michel foucault , sociology , moral responsibility , relation (database) , epistemology , law and economics , spare part , law , philosophy , political science , business , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , geomorphology , database , marketing , geology

Michel Foucault calls for the head of the king in political theory. In doing so he seems to sever the concept of power from its relation to human responsibility. However, for theoretical ‘monarchists’ such as Stephen Lukes, the whole point of identifying a relationship of power is to fix responsibility for its exercise. Given the contingency of political action, I agree with Foucault that it is not always possible to attribute responsibility for the effects of power to a particular agent. However, Foucault stretches the concept of power too far beyond its ethical association with human responsibility. Consequently, the idea of power becomes practically meaningless.

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