What is
authority and how is it related to domination and the law?
What is authority and how is it related to domination and the law?
Authority,
according to Max Weber, is the power which is legitimate, justified
and proper. It is generally derived from the official position of a
person and the powers are specified on written documents. Other
members of a society implicitly agree to follow the authority. For
example, the authority of police or a judge.
A law is
an explicitly codified norm or rule and usually exists in a written
form. Authority is related to law and domination as the difference
between the strict authority, which is explicitly codified, and the
informal authority, lies in the notion of law.
In a
modern democratic state, the laws are created by legislature. They
act as a binding force on citizens and, hence, dominate them. This
domination works through legitimate power or authority, a large part
of which is codified in the law. It requires consent and cooperation
on a regular basis to maintain legitimacy.
Authority, according to Max Weber, is the power which is legitimate, justified and proper. It is generally derived from the official position of a person and the powers are specified on written documents. Other members of a society implicitly agree to follow the authority. For example, the authority of police or a judge.
A law is an explicitly codified norm or rule and usually exists in a written form. Authority is related to law and domination as the difference between the strict authority, which is explicitly codified, and the informal authority, lies in the notion of law.
In a modern democratic state, the laws are created by legislature. They act as a binding force on citizens and, hence, dominate them. This domination works through legitimate power or authority, a large part of which is codified in the law. It requires consent and cooperation on a regular basis to maintain legitimacy.
