Power and Love

Tillich's definition of power and love The core definition given by Tillich (Paul Tillich) in Love, Power and Justice (1954)

- [power](/en/power)  (Power)
- The drive of everything living to realize itself. It is the drive of everything living to realize itself ... the self-affirmation of life in its self-transcending dynamics, overcoming internal and external resistance"). ... the self-affirmation of life in its self-transcending dynamics, overcoming internal and external resistance").
- Force is not mere violence or coercion, but refers to "the ability of a being to hold and extend itself against non-being. Thus, legitimate authority and institutions are also considered a form of force.
- [love](/en/love)  (Love)
- The drive toward the unity of the separated").
- Love orients toward union without erasing the uniqueness of the other. For Tillich, love does not negate power, but acts as a self-transcendent orientation of power.

The Interplay of Power and Love

• Tillich regarded "love without power becomes powerless, and power without love becomes destructive," and placed the equilibrium between the two at the center of ethics. Power aims at the self-affirmation of existence and love aims at the integration among beings, and when both are integrated, right (Justice) rises up.

• Collaboration with the Enemy p.119

• Most people feel comfortable with either love and involvement or [power and assertiveness

  • this (indicating an item near the speaker, the action of the speaker, or the current topic)親和欲求と達成欲求だな
    • I'm on the "power and assertion" side.
    • So we need to increase our "love and involvement."

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