Moral Power

Abstract

Morality and power are often taken to be opposites, with morality grounded in altruism and a commitment of the common good, and power located in self-interest. Our contention is that moral power, seemingly an oxymoron, is actually a widely present and important factor in social and political life. Moral power is the degree to which an actor, by virtue of his or her perceived moral stature, is able to persuade others to adopt a particular belief or take a particular course of action. We argue that moral power is a function of whether one is perceived as morally well-intentioned, morally capable, and whether one has moral standing to speak to an issue. In this chapter, we introduce the concept of moral power, situate it theoretically, offer a theory of how it is generated, and give a range of examples to illustrate its relevance.