We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.——Declaration of Independence
The Emergence of Individual Power#
Traditional "Rights" and "Power"#
In life, people often misuse "rights" and "power," often overlooking the value of the term "rights" and misunderstanding the strength of "power." It becomes easier to understand when explained through Western terminology.
"Rights," in English "rights," comes from the Old English "riht," meaning "justice" or "correct." The etymology of this word can be traced back to the Germanic root "rehtaz," which also means "justice" or "correct."
"Power," "power," comes from the Latin "potentia," meaning "strength" or "ability." This word can be further traced back to the Latin verb "posse," meaning "to be able" or "to have the ability."
In simple terms, "rights" emphasize justice, while "power" emphasizes strength. You infringe upon my rights because rights are just, and thus can be infringed. You cannot infringe upon my "power," because if I have power, rights do not have enough strength to counter it. It is not that rights lack strength, but rather that power is derived from the concentration of many rights; the power of the slave owner comes from the rights of the slaves.
"Rights" Under Objectivism#
However, I do not like this division between "rights" and "power." The Western notion of "natural rights" is certainly appealing, but for someone like me, who has long been influenced by "Marxism," I initially found the halo of "rights" very good, only to later deny it.
If I believed in God, then I could naturally speak of "natural rights," and then confidently criticize those unjust actions. This would be simpler and more powerful. Because everyone believes in the existence of rights, then rights exist; because everyone believes in the existence of justice, justice exists.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident," the people believe in the social contract theory, which will lead everyone to consciously accept the adjustments of natural law. People resolve political issues through law, which enhances the authority of the law. In other words, believing in the social contract theory itself will foster a society of social contracts. This is something Marxists cannot evaluate.——《Piercing SocietyThe Fantasy of Contract Theory》
But the problem is, I do not believe. I do not believe that rights are "natural" or "self-evident." In this objective world, there are no rules that can transcend the rules of the world itself; this is objectivism, which is what I believe in.
From "Rights" to "Power"#
So how do we explain rights? In fact, in "What is Justice," this discussion has already explained justice, and rights are justice.
Therefore, justice is a trend that allows all things to receive what they deserve. This trend does not imply an already existing result, but changes with the changes in the material power comparison. Justice does not only exist among humans but exists in all things that can influence the objective world.《What isJustice》
The material basis that justice relies on is the source of the power of rights. And after removing the "correctness" of "rights," rights become a "power" without any value judgment. This is the rebirth of rights. Only strength is sought. But the "correctness" that has been removed has not been discarded; rather, it has been unveiled, becoming the source of power.
Thus, the rights of this discussion have transformed into power, and the amusing part is that I had previously corrected others on the writing of "rights." However, when in Rome, I prefer to think from "power" rather than "right," which is understandable. For those who wish to think from "right," there is no contradiction.
Definition of Individual Power#
So what exactly is an individual's "power"?
Individual Power is More "Real"#
If the rights defined by laws, morals, and various norms are "names," then individual power is a more "real" concept. It does not care about so-called "freedom rights" in human rights, nor about "legal rights" under democratic systems, nor does it care about the "state violence" of dictatorship... It only cares about the actual changes and comparisons of power in all things.
Individual Power is Constantly Changing#
Individual power is constantly changing, existing in the material world, involuntarily drifting with the tides. "Rights" are justice, the benefits that individuals should enjoy. However, the bank of "rights" often takes breaks, and the brilliance of Lady Justice also appears and disappears. But "individual power" is a narrower concept; it never overdraws or defaults; it is like the next generation of digital currency, arriving instantly; it is like gravity, exerting influence on everything in the universe at any time.
Individual Power is Pure Strength#
I once responded to the critique of "relativism." Justice is always changing; if there is no eternity, what is justice? I replied that a person enjoys justice because they have the qualification to enjoy justice. Animals also enjoy justice, but only the justice of animals. An individual can enjoy the justice of the group because of the substitutability between individuals. And substitutability is only a possibility; more often than not, it cannot be transformed into reality, so justice often fluctuates. This actual state is the manifestation of individual power.
Compared to justice within a group, "individual power" is a more microscopic and fundamental concept. It can be the power of an individual, or the power of a group; it can be the power of a pig, or the power of a human; it can be the power of life, or the power of non-life. Individual power is pure strength.
Source of Individual Power#
In "On Creation," I once said "Creating Without Creation," that nothing in the world is created.
Just as labor creates value, the raw materials of labor are not yours, and the process of labor is merely following certain rules, so nothing new is created.
Then, I said that so-called originality is a matter of value, not of ontology.
Individual power is the same; it is merely a force. It is unrelated to will; power is objective. No one can create power, nor can anyone obliterate power. Those who hold great power are neither the masters of power nor the slaves of power; they are merely a cold part of power. Power does not care who climbs onto its body, for it is merely its own hand moving across its body.
Everyone, every life, every material, is part of a game of power. There are no power surfers, only power itself.
Everything objective has power; only transcendently objective has no power.
We are objective; we are power. Precisely because we are power, we are subject to power. Bound by the chains of modern slavery, dying under the butcher's knife. We are power; we are the source of power.
The stars are objective; the stars are also power. Stars are in motion; a solar storm can damage countless devices. A slight change in the sunlight that falls on Earth can make the Earth completely different. A speck of dust is the same; force has no size, nor meaning. It is merely relative, merely an evaluation on the level of value.
Levels of Individual Power#
The change of power is no different from the change of energy; only that power influences the change of energy in a more clever way.
The Body is Power#
At the beginning of life, everything is weak and small. With the intake of energy and the plunder of other lives, the body of life gradually grows and matures, gaining powerful energy. Thus, the larger the size, the greater the power. Mammoths, dinosaurs, various large predatory animals... Of course, "in the world of martial arts, only speed is unbreakable." Mass and speed are inseparable.
Intelligence is Power#
On the path of evolution, while physical strength can easily dominate other lives, the enhancement of physical strength is limited.
At this time, intelligence begins its evolution. From the complexity of understanding and the complexity of the brain, the ability of intelligence to perceive the world has unprecedentedly improved.
They suddenly realize that although they cannot face a large predatory animal head-on, through traps, techniques, and tactics, they can kill a creature that could easily defeat them.
Timing, location, and human relations; there are so many forces in this world that can be utilized. As long as the rules are mastered, they can be used to achieve one's goals; isn't that the greatest power?
Power, as a force, does not create. It moves in the world as part of strength. Just as creation, "creating without creation" from the ontological perspective, is merely praised as "creation" from the value perspective. Similarly, from the ontological perspective, power is merely "strength," only referred to as "power" from the value perspective. That is to say, our use of our own strength to influence the world's strength is insignificant to the world, but enormous to us.
Groups are Power#
However, an individual's strength and intelligence are limited, while the power of a group is immense, nearly infinite.
An ant is certainly weak, but an ant colony is terrifying. The structural pattern of a group has the potential to overcome any enemy. Because as long as the quantity is sufficient, no existence can withstand the consumption of the group. And the cost of [[grouping]] is the transfer of individual power; the entire group must obey the coercive rules formed by the group... Groups are precisely what allow the group to become a group.
It is necessary to study the specific grouping methods of animals and insects. However, from various documentaries, we can easily see that within small groups, the level of force determines many things. They often suppress members through their own strength to obtain the transfer of individual power, thus forming a group.
Humans are still the same. The essence of power at the group level is the concentration of strength; the effect is that many hands make light work, and the means are through various norms and violent games to make individuals comply. Of course, there are many ways to centralize power; whether democratic or dictatorial, it is centralization, just different methods. "A strong people, a weak country" is not an empty talk; it is just that the rules of democracy are more stable. However, the difference is often the most important.
In 2024, the world population has exceeded 8 billion. Such a large population scale is incomparable to ordinary mammals. How to achieve a larger group is the choice humanity faces in the next stage. Which civilization's grouping model can stand out will determine whether the human group can accumulate even greater power.
Life is Power#
Earlier, I said, "Everything objective has power." But what is truly meaningful is the power of life. Is this objective world a life? Is our planet a life? Is a group a life? Is a cell considered a life? These are not easy conclusions; everything has a spirit.
But we can be sure that life is power. Life is the most active part of the objective world; everything of life participates in this rhythm of energy and exerts a power far more brilliant than the stars.
Realization of Individual Power#
After a simple exploration of individual power, a question arises. How to increase individual power? How to gain more benefits? Or what is the use of the concept of individual power? To be clear, I do not know. It reminds me of a concept; to describe a concept; to complete a concept; where can this be understood in just a few thousand words? But I can be certain that looking at power from a more realistic perspective is correct.
Viewing the World from a More Realistic Perspective#
Because individual power is pure strength, this discussion is not limited to exploring humanity.
As long as conditions are met, humans can be prey, can split into two races, or may completely lose freedom... Individual power is the specific application of objectivism in the realm of life relationships.
Individual power is a form of energy, but this concept itself is a form of understanding. This understanding allows me to better comprehend the changes in life relationships. Why is it humans who raise dogs, rather than dogs raising humans? Why are cats treated better than dogs? Why... In fact, I cannot think of many. But every time I think of a question, I approach it from the perspective of individual power, even though I did not previously use this term.
For example, "human rights," "democracy," "the people," "freedom," these words are certainly good, but they should not be considered inherently good. Whether it is human rights or democracy, order or freedom, they all require individual power to support them. That is to say, these words are merely a phenomenon of individual power, not the most essential individual power. For specifics, refer to Emerging from the Political Dark Forest. For instance, the reason why the people are the people is not due to the ruler's decree, but due to the balance created by the strength of individual power. Once the people are deceived into abandoning or diminishing their individual power, these individuals can no longer be called the people, at most they are mere commoners.
Enhancing Individual Strength is Natural Yet a Matter of Thought#
In fact, enhancing individual power is not a difficult task. Strengthening the body is the most primitive method of enhancement; being knowledgeable can allow us to leverage external forces to achieve great distances; grouping and centralizing power can enable us to gain power beyond individual reach. As for life being power, it is merely a backdoor that allows us to experience that anything is possible; it is just that we may not be that life.
For example, a person goes from an embryo, to a fetus differentiated from reproductive organs, to a fetus about to be born, to a crawling infant, to a speaking infant, to a school-going child, to a mating teenager, to a fully mature adult, and finally to an aging elder... Individual power varies at each stage. Growth itself is a method of enhancing individual power.
Individual power, every action we take, every thought we have, changes this world; it is just that this change may seem insignificant to others. But individual power is so enchanting; as long as you are changing, individual power is also changing.