The Spirit of Power: The Mechanism of Power Transition (The Pattern of Power Transition in the History of Iran)

تاریخ و فرهنگ

Article 2, Volume 57, Issue 1 - Serial Number 114, September 2025, Pages 45-70   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jhistory.2025.90837.1347

Author

Sasan Tahmasbi^*

Assistant Professor, Department of History, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The will to power is the most important philosophical concept for explaining the causes and processes of power transition, and one of the main driving forces behind the acquisition and maintenance of power. Yet, the will to power alone is not sufficient to secure or retain authority. Therefore, this study employs a descriptive-analytical-inferential method and seeks to answer this question: What is the fundamental mechanism of power transition, and what pattern has power transition followed throughout Iranian history? Findings show that while the will to power is a necessary condition for acquiring and maintaining power, it is the “spirit of power” (a broader alternative that encompasses the will to power) that ultimately provides the grounds for acquiring, maintaining, and expanding power. It is when this spirit declines that the ruling power gives way to new actors who possess the spirit of power. Consequently, no people, nation, or region has achieved superior power more than once. Power has shifted not only among people and nations, but also among social groups and classes.

Keywords

power; the will to power; spirit of power; power transition; history of Iran

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