Truth vs. Power in Arthur Miller's An Enemy of the People

Introduction: Framing Truth and Power

Arthur Miller's An Enemy of the People is highly relevant to any discussion of truth and power. Miller's work addresses the issue thoroughly, exploring whether someone should tell the truth for the good of society or instead defer to power that society might regard as more important. Some quotations from this work are used here to more clearly illustrate what Miller was trying to say, but this paper is not primarily a study of Miller's work. Rather, it presents the writer's opinion on whether truth or power is more important in life, and why.

Defining Truth and Power as Concepts

Truth is somewhat relative as a concept. Many people tell what they consider to be the truth when, in fact, it is not — because they do not understand all of the facts. Others tell what might be called a half-truth, either because they do not want to provide all of the information about a situation or because they do not want to hurt someone's feelings. Still others simply will not tell the truth, either because they do not feel that others are owed it or because they have done something they believe they must lie about in order to avoid consequences. Even so, truth as a concept is understood by virtually everyone, even if everyone holds their own version of it.

Power is also a concept that can be difficult to define, as it is used in many different settings and in many different ways. For the purposes of this discussion, however, power refers to the capacity of certain individuals to direct and control others. The central question then becomes whether having this kind of power is more important than telling the truth — or whether truth is more important than power, regardless of what one must sacrifice in order to tell it.

Corruption of Truth and the Abuse of Power

According to Arthur Miller, "those who corrupt truth themselves become corrupted." This appears to be true, as the individuals in Miller's story took the truth provided by one man, corrupted it in order to maintain power over the town, and in doing so made themselves into corrupt individuals. This was unfortunate, because it harmed a great many people simply so that others could feel powerful, rather than relinquishing that power, being truthful, and causing no harm. In Miller's work, the political system he depicts is corrupt, and there is a deeply irrational tendency visible in the masses whom these politicians control. The politicians are able to use their power — rather than telling the truth — to make those they govern believe essentially whatever they wish, which represents a serious abuse of authority.

Conclusion: A World Built on Honesty

Power is certainly important to many people, as it often accompanies wealth, control, and many other things people greatly desire. However, just as money does not buy happiness, power does not buy it either — nor does it purchase genuine friendship, moral superiority, or truthfulness and honesty. There are those who do not care whether they are truthful and do not see honesty as important. Yet most people want to be told the truth, even if they are unwilling to tell it themselves, and they do not enjoy being deceived.

Some people lie to others and feel this is acceptable because they are powerful and believe the rules do not apply to them. Eventually, however, most are caught in those lies, and what follows is often unpleasant for many innocent people as well. The world would be a better place if more people were concerned with being truthful and less concerned with how much power they possess.