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AuthorityWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Authority
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Thewordauthority(derivedfromtheLatinwordauctoritas)canbeusedtomeantherighttoexercise
powergivenbytheState(intheformofgovernment,judges,policeofficers,etc.),orbyacademic
knowledgeofanarea(someonecanbeanauthorityonasubject).
WhenthewordAuthorityisusedinthenameofanorganization,thisnameusuallyreferstothe
governingbodyuponwhichsuchauthorityisvestedforexample,thePuertoRicoElectricPower
AuthorityortheMassachusettsBayTransportationAuthority.Itisalsotherighttodosomething.

Contents
1 Invarioussettings
1.1 Government
1.2 Politicalphilosophy
1.3 Othersocialsciences
2 MaxWeber
3 Seealso
4 References
5 Furtherreading
6 Externallinks

Invarioussettings
Government
Ingovernment,thetermauthorityisoftenusedinterchangeablywithpower.However,theirmeanings
differ:whilepowerisdefinedas"theabilitytoinfluencesomebodytodosomethingthathe/shewould
nothavedone",authorityreferstoaclaimoflegitimacy,thejustificationandrighttoexercisethat
power.Forexample,whileamobhasthepowertopunishacriminal,forexamplebylynching,people
whobelieveintheruleoflawconsiderthatonlyacourtoflawhastheauthoritytopunishacriminal
legallyasthelawsays.

Politicalphilosophy
Inpoliticalphilosophy,thejurisdictionofpoliticalauthority,thelocationofsovereignty,thebalancing
offreedomandauthority(cf.Cristi2005),andtherequirementsofpoliticalobligationshavebeencore
questionsfromPlatoandAristotletothepresent.Mostdemocraticsocietiesareengagedinanongoing
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discussionregardingthelegitimateextentoftheexerciseofgovernmentalauthority.IntheUnited
States,forinstance,thereisanapparentprevailingbeliefthatthepoliticalsystemasinstitutedbythe
FoundingFathersshouldaccordthepopulaceasmuchfreedomasreasonable,andthatgovernment
shouldlimititsauthorityaccordingly.
Inthediscussionregardingthelegitimacyofpoliticalauthority,thetwoendsofthespectrumofviews
couldbedescribedaseitherabeliefintheabsolutefreedomoftheindividuali.e.PoliticalAnarchism,or
thebeliefthattheremustbeacentralauthority(intheformofasovereign)thatclaimsownershipand
controloverthemassesi.e.Statism.Theargumentforpoliticalanarchyandantistatismismadeby
MichaelHuemerPhD,inhis2013book,TheProblemofPoliticalAuthority.Inthatbook,hedelvesinto
thevariousjustificationsusedbypoliticaltheoriststhroughouthistorytojustifythelegitimacyof
politicalauthorityviatheState.Ontheotherhand,oneofthemainargumentsforthelegitimacyofthe
state,theSocialContractTheory,ismadebyThomasHobbesinhis1668book,Leviathan.

Othersocialsciences
Sincetheemergenceofsocialsciences,authorityhasbecomeasubjectofresearchinavarietyof
empiricalsettings:thefamily(parentalauthority),smallgroups(informalauthorityofleadership),
intermediateorganizationssuchasschools,churches,armies,industriesandbureaucracies
(organizationalandbureaucraticauthorities),andsocietywideorinclusiveorganizations,rangingfrom
themostprimitivetribalsocietytothemodernnationstateandintermediateorganization(political
authority).
Thedefinitionofauthorityincontemporarysocialscienceremainsamatterofdebate.Accordingto
MichaelsintheEncyclopediaofSocialSciences,authorityisthecapacity,innateoracquiredfor
exercisingascendancyoveragroup.Otherscientistsarguethatauthorityisnotacapacitybuta
relationship.Itispowerthatissanctionedandinstitutionalized.
HowardBloomhintsataparallelbetweenauthorityandrespect/reverenceforancestors.[1]

MaxWeber
MaxWeber,inhissociologicalandphilosophicalwork,identifiedanddistinguishedthreetypesof
legitimatedomination(HerrschaftinGerman,whichgenerallymeans'domination'or'rule'),thathave
sometimesbeenrenderedinEnglishtranslationastypesofauthority,becausedominationisn'tseenasa
politicalconceptinthefirstplace.Weberdefineddomination(authority)asthechanceofcommands
beingobeyedbyaspecifiablegroupofpeople.Legitimateauthorityisthatwhichisrecognizedas
legitimateandjustifiedbyboththerulerandtheruled.
Weberdividedlegitimateauthorityintothreetypes:
ThefirsttypediscussedbyWeberisRationallegalauthority.Itisthatformofauthoritywhich
dependsforitslegitimacyonformalrulesandestablishedlawsofthestate,whichareusually
writtendownandareoftenverycomplex.Thepoweroftherationallegalauthorityismentioned
intheconstitution.Modernsocietiesdependonlegalrationalauthority.Governmentofficialsare
thebestexampleofthisformofauthority,whichisprevalentallovertheworld.
ThesecondtypeofauthorityisTraditionalauthority,whichderivesfromlongestablished
customs,habitsandsocialstructures.Whenpowerpassesfromonegenerationtoanother,thenit
isknownastraditionalauthority.Therightofhereditarymonarchstorulefurnishesanobvious
example.TheTudordynastyinEnglandandtherulingfamiliesofMewar,inRajasthan(India)are
someexamplesoftraditionalauthority.
ThethirdformofauthorityisCharismaticauthority.Here,thecharismaoftheindividualorthe
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leaderplaysanimportantrole.Charismaticauthorityisthatauthoritywhichisderivedfrom"the
giftofgrace"orwhentheleaderclaimsthathisauthorityisderivedfroma"higherpower"(e.g.
Godornaturallaworrights)or"inspiration",thatissuperiortoboththevalidityoftraditionaland
rationallegalauthorityandfollowersacceptthisandarewillingtofollowthishigherorinspired
authority,intheplaceoftheauthoritythattheyhavehithertobeenfollowing.Examplesinthis
regardcanbeNTRamaRao,amatineeidol,whowentontobecomeoneofthemostpowerful
ChiefMinistersofAndhraPradesh.
Historyhaswitnessedseveralsocialmovementsorrevolutions,againstasystemoftraditionalorlegal
rationalauthority,whichareusuallystartedbyCharismaticauthorities.Weberstatesthatwhat
distinguishesauthorityfromcoercion,forceandpowerontheonehand,andleadership,persuasionand
influenceontheotherhand,islegitimacy.Superiors,hestates,feelthattheyhavearighttoissue
commandssubordinatesperceiveanobligationtoobey.Socialscientistsagreethatauthorityisbutone
ofseveralresourcesavailabletoincumbentsinformalpositions.Forexample,aHeadofStateis
dependentuponasimilarnestingofauthority.Hislegitimacymustbeacknowledged,notjustby
citizens,butbythosewhocontrolothervaluedresources:hisimmediatestaff,hiscabinet,military
leadersandinthelongrun,theadministrationandpoliticalapparatusoftheentiresociety.
Authoritycanbecreatedeitherexpresslyorbyimplication(2)publicentitiesactpublicly,usingthe
samemeanstocommunicatethegrantofauthoritytotheiragentsthattheyusetocommunicatethisto
thirdparties(3)apparentauthoritydescribesthesituationwhenaprincipalhasplacedrestrictionsonan
agentthatarenotknowntoathirdparty(4)restrictionsongovernmentagentsareaccomplishedinthe
open,throughlawsandregulations(5)everyone,includingcontractors,aresupposedtoknowthelaws
andregulationsofourgovernmentandthus(6)theconceptof"apparentauthority"isofteninaptwhen
dealingwiththegovernment,insofarastheonlycognizablerestrictionsontheagent'sauthorityare
deemedknowntothirdparties,shatteringanyappearanceofauthority.(14)

Seealso
Authority(management)
Antiauthoritarianism
Appealtoauthority
Auctoritas
Authoritarianism
Cognitiveauthority
Dominance(ethology)
Milgramexperiment
Pettyauthority
Religiousauthority

References
1.Bloom,Howard(2010).TheGeniusoftheBeast:aradicalrevisionofcapitalism.Amherst,NewYork:
PrometheusBooks.p.186.ISBN9781591027546."Tovalidateanargument,wereferbacktoour
ancestorsortosomeonewho,whilestillalive,hasalreadygarneredthesortofauthorityonlyancestors
normallyhave."

Furtherreading
GiorgioAgamben,StateofException(2005)
JzefMariaBocheski,WasistAutoritt?(1974)
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RenatoCristi,HegelonFreedomandAuthority(2005)
StuartLachs,MeansofAuthorization:EstablishingHierarchyinCh'an/ZenBuddhisminAmerica
(http://www.darkzen.com/Articles/meansofauthorization.htm)(1999)
RafaelDomingoOsle,Auctoritas(1999)
KarlPopper,OntheSourcesofKnowledgeandofIgnorance(1960)
MaxWeber,EconomyandSociety(1922)

Externallinks
Authority(http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/authority)entry
Lookupauthorityin
byTomChristianointheStanfordEncyclopediaof
Wiktionary,thefree
Philosophy
dictionary.
QualitionaryLegalDefinitionsAuthority
(http://www.qualitionary.eu/index.php?
Wikiquotehasquotations
title=Authority#Competent_authority)
relatedto:Authority
AppealtoAuthorityBreakdown
(http://www.appealtoauthority.info)
"PoliticalObligation"(http://www.iep.utm.edu/poliobl)entryintheInternetEncyclopediaof
Philosophy
Fouressayspublishedinthe''InternationalJournalofPhilosophicalStudies''fromtheRobert
PapazianEssayPrizeCompetitiononAuthority
(http://explore.tandfonline.com/cfp/ah/internationaljournalofphilosophicalstudies#2014)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Authority&oldid=699375443"
Categories: Socialethics Socialpsychology Politicalphilosophy Socialconcepts
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