Influence

Definition of the spectrum of influence.

|INFLUENCE| Ignorance > Awareness > Influence (Speech) > Incentive (Exchange) > Coercion (Force) > Enserfment (Power)

  1. One can Influence
    Alter the probability of an individual or group’s decisions while preserving choice.
  2. One can Incentivize
    Alter the probability of an individual or group’s decisions while preserving some choice
  3. One can Coerce
    Alter the probability of an individual or group’s decisions while limiting choice.
  4. One can Exercise Power
    Power is defined as possessing any of the various means by which to influence the probability of outcomes in a group or polity while eliminating choice.

Three Weapons of Influence

There are three means of influencing groups of people with institutions. (Johnson)

1) Force, or the threat of force (Masculine Strategy)
A person has a VIOLENCE INCENTIVE to behave in a particular way when it has been made known to him that failure to do so will result in some form of physical aggression being directed at him by other members of the collectivity in the form of inflicting pain or physical harm on him or his loved ones, depriving him of his freedom of movement, or perhaps confiscating or destroying his treasured possessions.

FORCE:
Tool: Physical Coercion
Benefit: Avoidance Benefit
Strategic use: Rapid but expensive.
“Seize opportunities quickly with a concentrated effort.”

POWER
Procedural Power: Political, Judicial, and Military Power (Soldiers, Judges and Politicians)

OPTIMUM FUNCTION
Limits: Via-Negativa: Procedural Power: Political, Judicial, and Military Power (Soldiers, Judges, and Politicians)

2) Remuneration or payment (Neutral or Market Strategy)
A person has a REMUNERATIVE INCENTIVE to behave in a particular way if it has been made known to him that doing so will result in some form of material reward he will not otherwise receive. If he behaves as desired, he will receive some specified amount of a valuable good or service (or money with which he can purchase whatever he wishes) in exchange.

PAYMENT, EXCHANGE:
Tool: Remunerative Coercion
Benefit: Material
Strategic use: efficient in cost and time, only if you have the resources.

POWER
Economic Power (people with wealth either earned or gained through tax appropriation).

OPTIMUM FUNCTION
Possibilities: Via-Practica: Economic Power (people with wealth either earned or gained through tax appropriation)

3) Moral claims (collective goods) – (Feminine Strategy)
A person has a MORAL INCENTIVE to behave in a particular way when he has been taught to believe that it is the “right” or “proper” or “admirable” thing to do. If he behaves as others expect him to, he may expect the approval or even the admiration of the other members of the collectivity and enjoy an enhanced sense of acceptance or self-esteem. If he behaves improperly, he may expect verbal expressions of condemnation, scorn, ridicule or even ostracism from the collectivity, and he may experience unpleasant feelings of guilt, shame or self-condemnation.

WORDS:
Tool: Verbal, Moral Coercion
Benefit: Ostracization/Inclusion, and Insurance benefit
Strategic Use: slow, but inexpensive.
“Wait for opportunity by accumulating consensus.”

POWER
Populist Power (Religion, Entertainment, Public Intellectuals)

OPTIMUM FUNCTION
Wants: Via-Positiva: Populist Power (Religion, Entertainment, Public Intellectuals)

 

Evolution of Institutions of Coercion

So given that there are only three methods of coercion available to us:

  1. UNDERMINING: feminine gossip, rallying, and shaming(exclusion from opportunity).
  2. REMUNERATION: libertarian trade, and
  3. FORCE: Masculine force

There are only six interpersonal actions available to us:

  1. Predation(Force, Theft, Fraud) >
    1. Force (Coercion) >
  2. Remuneration (Trade) >
    1. Boycotting (Boycott/Ignore) >
  3. Undermining: Inclusion in opportunity (Ostracization) >
    1. Flight(Separation)

Evolution of Social Orders

There are three existing and one emerging method of institutional coercion:

Religion (Inclusion / Exclusion) > Law (Protection / Punishment) > Credit (Consumption / Deprivation) > Surveillance – Digital Reputation (inclusion / exclusion from opportunity)

  1. RELIGION
    Religion evolved to provide understanding of the word, virtues to imitate, and general prohibitions, across clans, tribes, and conquered nations, so that people could cooperate more easily and retaliate (feud) less frequently.
    Weapon: Ostracization (death sentence)
    Records: memory of locals.
    Institutions: Church, Academy, School, Family, Individual
  2. LAW
    Law evolved to standardize punishments across clans, tribes, and conquered nations, to keep the peace, preserve productivity, preserve taxation, and legitimize (provide value by) rule.
    Weapon: violence, deprivation
    Records: written ledgers of crimes and punishments.
    Institutions: Military, Judiciary, Sheriff/Esquires, Militia, Men
  3. CREDIT
    Credit rule evolved to increase productivity by the promise of consumption in the present, such that the primary form of social punishment was loss of consumption, status, and signaling.
    Weapon: deprivation of consumption, status, and signaling.
    Records: written and electronic records of creditworthiness.
    Institutions: Government, Treasury, Banking, Business, Technology, Labor
  4. SURVEILLANCE (Inclusion / Exclusion)
    (emergent)
    Weapon: deprivation of opportunities for cooperation.
    Records: digital record and scores of your ‘desirability’ for cooperation.
    Institutions: Combining all of the above plus surveillance.