We share this list of talking point from the Howard Zinn Papers (archives) located in the “Course Syllabi: ‘Introduction to Political Theory,’ 1968-1987” folder housed at New York University’s Tamiment Library. The Spring 1976 syllabus (not shown) related to these notes opens with:
Our Problem for the Semester: Power and Powerlessness.
- The cultivation of passivity through ideology and practice.
- Resistance to this in history, in future possibilities.
- Seeing this problem via liberalism, Marxism, anarchism.
By Howard Zinn
“Introduction to Political Theory” course, circa 1976 at Boston University. Published with permission of the Howard Zinn Revocable Trust.
Vulnerability of the Powerful:
- The more complicated the mechanism of control the more points of possible breakdown.
- Technology becomes arrogant, overconfident — ultimately it depends on human judgement.
- Control in mass society requires legitimacy, confidence, obedience.
- Control by a few over many depends on fragmentation of the many.
- In an advanced society, control depends on everyone working.
- Control requires the loyalty of guards and servants.
Powers of the Powerless:
(the political counterpart of guerrilla tactics)
- Sheer numbers can be hard to control, especially with dispersal.
- Organization of energy can make up for lack of resources.
- Mobility works against a powerful, lumbering foe.
- Timing, surprise.
- The willingness to use time, that is, protracted, patient struggle, wearing the enemy down
through endurance and sacrifice. - The power of morale, based on utopian visions, present comradeship.
- The maintenance of subterranean communications, information.
From Étienne de La Boétie: “Discours de la Servitude Volontaire”:
He who abuses you so has only two eyes, has but two hands, one body, and has naught but what has the least man . . . except for the advantage you give him to destroy you.
. . . if they (tyrants) are given nothing, if they are not obeyed, without fighting, without striking a blow, they remain naked and undone, and do nothing further, just as the root, having no soil or food, the branch withers and dies.
