In the German language the concept of force is especially confusing. On the one hand, "Gewalt" means aggressive force, which in this sense is always translated here as "force". On the other hand, in German, the use of means of physical power is designated as "Gewalt" even when it is used as a defence against aggressive force; in this case, "Gewalt" is the exact opposite of aggressive force.

Therefore, in this translation "force" is to be understood (with few exceptions stipulated by linguistic usage) as aggressive "Gewalt"; while "power" is used in the sense of "Kraft" or "Macht", which can be either aggressive or defensive, according to the circumstances. The difficulty in translating these concepts lies in the fact that they are used in opposite ways by many people. We do not claim sole validity for our definitions, but we hold it necessary to stress the special sense given them.