Guys, guys, guys, How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? That is what I see, many times, when I see "Authority" being discussed.
⚠In logic, equivocation is an informal fallacy resulting from the use of a particular word/expression in multiple senses within an argument. It is a type of ambiguity that stems from a phrase having two or more distinct meanings, not from the grammar or structure of the sentence.⚠
This equivocation results in communication errors, which, as often as not, cause arguments. I see the same, only more so, when "capitalists" and "socialists" enter discussions with, or make comments about, each other.
Authority has two distinct meanings in my Lexicon.
The first being the authority of superior knowledge. The authority with the superior knowledge says "You shouldn't stick that bobby pin into that electric power outlet." There is no coercion; There is no demand to be obeyed; There are no threats of punishment. Free will, freedom to act, and liberty is still intact. This does not absolve the actor from the reality that "Actions have consequences." Something I will delve into a little deeper when I address parental (alleged) authority.
The second being the alleged authority of Government-State. The Government-State is presumed to have a higher claim on any human or their property that is greater than that human has over their self or their property. Coincident with this alleged authority of Government-State having a higher claim on a human's self or property, is the alleged right to use threats and actual violence (force) to harm that human for not acceding or complying with the Government-States dictates.
The trigger for this treatise was when I read the discussion under this question: "How does one human gain legitimate authority over another human?"
It is my opinion that this question suffers from equivocation, perhaps even conflating the two different meanings of the term in my lexicon.
Perhaps a rewording of the question would help illustrate. "How does one human gain legitimate higher claim over another human or their property?"
If any human has a higher claim over something than you do, then you do not own that thing. If you do not own that thing, then that thing is not yours.
Another rewording is in order. "How does one human gain ownership of another human and their property?"
One human owning another human is slavery. Slavery is the anathema to freedom and liberty. Government-State claims ownership of humans because it (more correctly the humans in it), and many other humans, believe its higher claim on humans and their property is not refutable.
Some of the folks commenting under the original post have made comments regarding parents having "authority" over their children, attempting to make an argument that this authority is somehow just like government's alleged authority.
This may or may not be true depending on how the parents actually parent.
Screaming at a child, "Don't stick that bobby pin in that outlet, then physically punishing the child for attempting is not teaching; Is not disciplining the errant child. To discipline means to teach the disciple.
It is the parent's duty to protect the child from harm and at the same time teaching the child to not harm its self. The issue is that the child does not yet have fully functional cognitive abilities. Don't want the child sticking pointy objects in the outlets? Buy some outlet protection plugs. Don't want the child getting into the under sink chemical store? Buy some child proof cabinet latches. Want the child to grow up enjoying learning? Let the child get into the pots, pans, and lids cabinets and make all the noise wanted.
Want the child to grow up and not be a problem for society? Teach them three words: Actions have consequences. Three words, once internalized and understood, will make the child smarter than many adults I know. The child can learn those three words by rote. Good actions get good consequences. Bad actions get bad consequences. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Be consistent. And catch the kids behaving and doing good. This worked for special needs kids of a family friend, even though my wife and I had limited interactions as the In Loco Parentis. They're 20 somethings now and doing okay.
