In the introduction, the semantic space of the terms responsibility and power is examined with the help of the Latin language. The forms of power are then analysed in the light of the Katechon; the dual function of this concept is illustrated: power that restrains and at the same time promotes. A brief historical journey from the Middle Ages to the modern age introduces the problem of the connection between the absolutism of power and the advent of machination with the divorce between ethics and politics. The katonic weakening of the national states leads to nihilism and narcissism, undermining the concept of individual responsibility in the political perspective. The process of globalisation is considered for its outcomes in the related fields of governance and community identity with final considerations on the prospects of restoring, maintaining and enhancing responsibility.