Napoleon Power Corruption Analysis

Many view power as a tool to lead societies into corruption. However, depending on how a system of government is set up, that view may be erroneous. Power gives independence to the holder with freedom to use it either for good or bad purposes. When a leader is granted power without any consequences for misuse, unless a perfect human being, that leader will likely turn into some variant of a despot. Powerlessness, therefore, inherently causes corruption as humans suffer from congenital selfishness and greed.

Power has always been seen as the killer of morality. Powerlessness, however, allows and almost encourages a leader to use his strength to his advantage. The ascent to despotism may begin by instituting slightly stricter laws that give

the government more power than before while overlooking small human rights violations in action or speech. In time however, if no boundaries are instituted, misuse may snowball.
An example that clearly shows both sides of the argument was the incident of the French Revolution.

Before the revolution formally began, France was being ruled by the monarch Napoleon Bonaparte. All people under him, particularly the third party members also known as the working class, were oppressed in a sense that they were powerless against the laws that wronged them while bestowing the monarchy more power. The ruler of a country or empire should have one goal: to ensure that the people of the country are taken care of. As Napoleon was not adhering to this basic moral law of power the people grew upset about the little they could do to help themselves, and decided the best course of action would be to overthrow the government. Once the monarchy was overtaken the bourgeoisie temporarily assumed power which worked for a short time. Soon however, multiple rebel groups rose to power, subjecting all those not associated with them to the two year Reign of Terror. During this time, many civilians and previous government officials were executed. The consequence of the rebellion yielded predictable results. Like before, the people outside the direct government suffered as they could do nothing to prevent wrongdoing from befalling them. Both during Napoleon’s rule and the rule of the rebels, powerlessness influenced an ascent to despotism that left the people of the country

distressed.
Although most examples of misused power occur in societal governments, the intricate relationship between power and powerlessness can also be seen in family dynamics, schools, and friendships.

One such example is from my own family. My mother is an only child raised in a patriarchal household with a classically controlling father and submissive mother. When younger, my grandfather was able to entertain opinions other than his own but over time my grandmother’s submissiveness caused him to become less tolerant. It was an interesting dynamic to watch, though I understand it much better looking back. Now many years later, the circle is complete with my grandmother wholly submissive and my grandfather in a position of absolute power. For the rest of us, this dynamic yielded a dictatorial, inflexible parent and grandparent alongside one who is unable to teach or protect her young

ones.
In the early stages of a relationship, much like in the early stages of a country, boundaries for appropriate leadership behavior can be set. Those boundaries can determine whether the relationship, or government, will be healthy and able to serve its people in the best possible way. As seen in history and modern day families, powerlessness that enables absolute power results in corruption and misuse.