"He let his robes hang down, folded his hands, and the whole world was well ordered." [http://sll1.stanford.edu/wordworld/ShangShu/Assignments/WuchengFrame.html] (22 October 1997). That phrase is my image of authority. I see a fat emperor garbed in a traditional, Chinese emperor-yellow robe sitting on a big throne with his broad arms crossed against his chest and wearing a stern expression. Just staring at him I get feel fear and awe because I sense his great power emanating out towards me. His servants probably scurry about making sure the kingdom is well ordered. The best definition that fits this description in the Webster's New World Dictionary are: 1) The power or right to give commands, enforce obedience, take action, or make final decisions; jurisdiction 2) Power or influence resulting from knowledge, prestige, etc. (94).

Authority is the power of making others obey and accept the commands and decisions given by the authority figure. This person might be a teacher who assigns homework and project to her students, who will almost always do the assignment without question the teacher's having the power to assign the work. This same teacher also issues grades which, although the students may protest, he/she has the final jurisdiction over. Another example would be the driving test examiner who has the right to make the prospective driver turn left here, make a right there, U-turn at the next street, back up in reverse gear for fifty feet followed by three point turn, and parallel park in front of a stranger's home. This single person can determine how many points to take off on every aspect of the test and whether to issue a warning or fail the test taker for a common, yet potentially dangerous, blunder. Little contest can be made against the final decision of whether or not to issue the license that the examiner makes, unless you want to risk the chance of never getting a driver's license.

This power of authority can either be given by someone with even greater authority or gained by means of force or influence. The Chinese emperors of ancient China claimed authority through the Mandate of Heaven. It was believed that they were chosen by heaven and "the king's commands were the `tian ming' or `commands of heaven.'" [http://sll1.stanford.edu/wordworld/ShangShu/Annotations/AnnoB5.html] (22 October, 1997). Powers from heaven were little challenged for the people feared they would anger the gods and get struck dead. Teachers and driving examiners are delegated authority from the Board of Education and the Department of Motor Vehicles (In that respective order). Challenging their power would hold slightly less serious consequences, but the possibility of expulsion from school or not getting a greatly coveted driving license would definitely silence the majority of dissenters.

For those who do not attain power through heaven, or its equivalents, they may gain it through the use of force and/or influence. One such example is Mao Zedong who established Communist China by force. According to the Encarta Encyclopedia, "Mao initiated moderate land reform and evolved new guerrilla tactics that ultimately defeated Kuomintang forces." [http://encarta.msn.com/find/concise/default.asp?vs=x97&la=na&ty=1&vo=11&ti=01fb7000] (22 October, 1997). On the opposite spectrum, Mother Theresa was a woman who had great authority through influence. She held power over others through the influence of her generous and kind spirit. Not so much through commanding as through inspiration, she gained a group of followers who did many good things through her example. Mother Theresa was well respected and her words were heeded by many. An example that encloses both influence and force as a source of authority would be Hitler. He started out as a nobody and had people scoff at his ideas. However, taking advantage of post-WWI conditions, he accumulated a great deal of influence with his book Mien Kampf. Eventually, he formed a large army and went on to seize and possess authority over the European continent. It was due to his enormous influence over the German citizens and fear-producing military force that he was able to accomplish the horrifying action of killing millions of Jews and their supporters.

Authority is the power to command and make decisions that others will obey without questioning the right of this person to do so. Sometimes it is delegated to this person by a higher authority of some sort, whether that is heaven or a bureaucracy and at other times it is possessed through strong influence or dominating force. Authority, as seen by examples throughout history, also has the power to do a lot of good or commit hideous crimes.