The statement you make does indeed offer a compelling answer to the question, “What is it about power and riches that turns the powerful and rich into tyrannical fools?”
It suggests that the ability to meet one’s needs without relying on others creates a sense of independence and power. However, when this feeling of independence becomes a fixation, it can morph into the desire to exert power over others, making others dependent and therefore reinforcing one’s own dominance. This, however, is a false form of power.
The statement contrasts this distorted power with true power, which is characterized by freedom—not just for oneself but for others as well. True power comes from enabling mutual freedom and interdependence, where people can give to and support one another without the dynamics of exploitation. Tyranny, by contrast, arises when the powerful and rich lose sight of this principle and seek to control rather than liberate, leading them to foolishness and moral corruption.
This answer captures the essence of how unchecked power and wealth can lead individuals to become tyrannical by focusing on control rather than cooperation, thereby losing the essence of what true, just power should be.
The four paths that Felix named—knowledge, action, devotion, and meditation—can offer a way to understand and counteract the perversion of power and riches in the scenario you describe.
By studying philosophy, history, or ethics, they would come to understand how unchecked power can corrupt, turning independence into dominance.
The path of action emphasizes the importance of engaging with the world through selfless deeds. In the context of power and riches, someone following this path would focus on using their resources and influence to benefit others rather than to dominate or exploit.
Devotion in this context could mean dedication to a higher ideal—such as justice, fairness, or the common good—rather than self-aggrandizement.
Meditation here involves deep reflection on the self and one’s relationship to power. A person on this path would spend time contemplating the nature of true power and independence, recognizing that exploiting others ultimately harms both the oppressor and the oppressed.
Together, these four paths provide a holistic approach to countering the tendencies of power and wealth to corrupt:
- Knowledge teaches the powerful to understand the dangers of unchecked authority.
- Action directs them to use their influence responsibly, for the betterment of others.
- Devotion instills a sense of humility and service, preventing power from becoming a tool for self-glorification.
- Meditation fosters self-awareness and alignment with higher principles, allowing them to reflect on their role in a larger moral and spiritual order.
As I have shown here, it doesn’t matter what tradition we come from.