Authority and Legitimacy

              Authority and Legitimacy

In day-to-day language we use the word authority. For example,we say that parents have got the authority over their children or elder brothers and sisters have got authority over their younger brothers and sisters.Similarly, we find the teachers have got authority over their pupils and the doctors exercising authority over his patients. The patients accepts the authority of doctors without any hitch in order to get the disease cured.Prof. Carl J. Fredrick in his treatise Man and his Government suggest that "the person weilding authority possesses superior knowledge or insight. This may be often true, but it is probably more universally appropriate say that people are usually willing to accept that person do have such knowledge or insight, without asking for proof."
Authority is always legitimate and backed by the power of law and common consent.Legitimate power of influence is generally called authority. For example, if a policeman stops a truck which is going on the wrong side or carries banned articles, then he is using his legal or legitimate authority but if a robber stops the said vehicle and loots it by means of force, then he does not exercise any authority but rather uses the force illegally. "The man who has authority possesses something that I would describe as the capacity for reasoned elaboration for giving convincing reasons for that he does or proposes to have others do". In simpler words, we can say that we obey the authority because it is reasonable.
Different types of Authority according to Max Weber

1- 'resting on an established belief in the sanctity of immemorial traditions and the legitimacy of the status of those exercising authority under them.

2- 'belief in the "Legality" of patterns of normative rules and the rights of those elevated to authority under such rules to issue commands'.

3- based on 'denotion to the specific and exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person', and of normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him.