Pancratism – A doctrine that absolute power (Kratos) is the fundamental rule of being. Not just that power exists, but that power is the ultimate
reality: all things are expressions of force, domination, or capacity. Pancratism often appears in political philosophy (might makes
right) but can also be metaphysical: the
universe’s essence is not matter or mind but raw, unmediated power. Ethics becomes a matter of managing power wisely.
Example: “He argued that every relationship, every law, every particle was a power struggle—pancratism, seeing Kratos as the only substance beneath the illusion of
peace.”
Panencratism – The belief that everything is contained within divine power or
government. Unlike pancratism (power as a brute fact), panencratism sees all power as ultimately unified under a
single sovereign source—
God’s omnipotence. Every act of force, every hierarchy, every authority on Earth is a fragment of or a participation in the total divine rule. It’s a theological version of “everything is controlled.”
Example: “She believed even evil kings were unwitting tools of a divine plan—panencratism, where no power exists outside
God’s grip, not even rebellion.”