Alright: power, determination, adjudication, jurisdiction, control, command. All valid, descriptive constructs covering the sorts of things that must take place in an overall context of human action and volition, in order to see to proper or better actions with respect to one’s knowledge of reality (hopefully, knowledge of high quality). The purpose of getting it right—or better than plain wrong—is, of course, to advance one’s prospects for survival, happiness, and prosperity in life.

Let’s tackle the makeup of what passes for authority for so many, now.

When you come right down to it, human beings live their entire lives subject to authority in one form or another. This is wholly natural. Unless we ourselves have worked out every single constraint to living a human life, we have to default to some form of authority, often—probably daily.

This is the given. This is part and parcel of why we’re social animals and not the sort that lives a singular existence with all knowledge for survival in a specific niche environment, inbred. We’re generalists, both in terms of food and in terms of environment and climate: equator to arctic, sea level to 16,000 feet. Moreover, unlike any other animal I’m aware of, we have the capacity via concepts (perceptual tags) and the way we symbolize them (writing), to pass on knowledge far beyond our physical years. This is a form of authority, particularly when the knowledge represented is of proven worth and high quality (i.e., it has a certain correspondence with reality that has stood the test of time).

…But just as there are qualitative differences in terms of knowledge and “knowledge,” as outlined in parts 1 and 2, there are qualitative differences in various forms of authority.

External Authority

Mostly, as adults, we are our own authority in any accounting of every action taken every day (when to wake, what to eat eat, whether to shower or shave, what route to take to work, in what order and priority to perform various tasks, etc.). The question is, in which cases ought individuals defer to authorities outside of themselves, external authorities?

We learn to defer to external authority as children when in general, the authority of our parents, grandparents, older siblings, guardians, and teachers supersedes our own on a practical level, and that’s because the quality of the underlying knowledge and experience possessed by those external authorities is greater than our own.

So in principle, not only is there nothing wrong with deferring to external authority, but doing so in many, many ways is part & parcel to our very existence, to our success as social animals. We rely upon one-another and often, the sum of such reliance is greater than the worth of the constituent parts.

False Authority

It’s really not about “nobody tells me what to do…or, you’re not my mom,” but rather: valid authority vs. false authority.

Valid external authority can come from anywhere—even a stranger on the street: ”LOOK OUT!” …as a fast moving bus or slow moving, flesh eating zombie approaches you from behind. False authority can come from anywhere as well: ”SINNER REPENT, OR FACE ETERNAL DAMNATION!” Or, “we all need to sacrifice more.” Or, “this is the most important election of our time!” (aren’t they always?). How about: “lower your cholesterol, avoid saturated fat, eat hearthealthywholegrains, take this drug, bore yourself to tears in cardio…I’m the doctor.” …And the list goes on.

What’s weird is that so many take these forms of authority for gospel, and most, usually, without a thought given to the underlying quality of knowledge being purported.

Maintaining and Propping Up False Authority

Lies

Deception

Blame

Shame

Unearned Guilt

In retrospect, I ought to have added non-sequitur to that list. Perhaps even at the top, because one of the cleverest ways to command authority is to first be authoritative in some matter that’s pretty obvious, so as to establish an aura of authority; then come in with edicts that don’t follow.

“We have deep economic problems. The debt is out of control, jobs are being lost, industries are in decline. So… (here comes the non-sequitur) we need an ‘economic stimulus package’ and you need to be taxed more. And vote for me.”

…But isn’t a “stimulus package” just euphemism for ‘we’re going to print a bunch of money, artificially increasing the money supply, causing inflation that lowers the value of your income; and we’re going to put it into the hands of insurance companies, banks and brokerage firms?’

In other words, it’s euphemism for theft, with plenty of smoke & mirrors (and crossed fingers) so you don’t see it for what it is.

“Life is a mystery. From where did we come? What gives rise to a human sense of conscience? (here comes the non-sequitur) …It’s a superman in the sky; and oh by the way, I’m in contact. Oh, he’s the Supreme Authority, too.”

If you can get another human being to feel guilt in matters for which he has no culpability or blame, you have established authority over him.