Wealth and Power
I find myself flipping through Hegel and Nietzsche again. It is difficult when listening in on a discussion of the faults of Berlusconi and Sarkozy to think of them as anything but prototypical masters, exercizing authority without responsibility.
It's probably indicative of the fact that I studied Hegel through the lens of Kojeve that I view such characters as inevitable products of society.
That is not to say that there isn't a tinge of disgust and a taste of bile when thinking about it. The axiom that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" is a vile fallacy that has almost become an excuse to simply avoid having to explain the faults of others. It is a historical fact that many power elites knew full well the responsibility that lay upon their shoulders. The lesson to be drawn from Hegel and Nietzsche, even if Nietzsche seems at times to prefer the Master to the Slave, is that with authority there must exist an equal share of responsibility. (Yes, I'm aware that this sounds a lot like Spider-Man)
Yet the idea that power itself imbues actions with moral rightness is something that has always been prevalent amongst elites. A way for them to justify to themselves their darkest thoughts, perhaps. Yet I cannot imagine that their lives could be anything but an existential nightmare straight out of the pages of Brett Easton Ellis, anesthetized with Zoloft and a healthy helping of Ketel One.
There's a thought... if we took the emotional crutches away from the rich and powerful, would they finally wake up to their own nightmares?
I am not saying that wealth and power are in themselves evil. (In fact, Nietzsche would build a time machine to kick me in the face if I claimed so) It has been quite a long time since I have been that ardent a socialist. But they must be coupled with responsibility.
And now I'm also beginning to sound like Heinlein. I think that's my cue to stop dicking about in my head whilst doing chores and buckle down on an essay. Time for a return to Plato and Aristotle.