The Philosophical Review/Volume 1/Summary: Nettleship - Authority in the Sphere of Conduct and Intellect
Authority here is the power that in conduct determines practice and in thought assent. A desire for it is universal and at present largely unsatisfied. Some are capable of forming convictions, others not. The former, to whom we owe the great constructive moral movements, find authority in their own moral passion; the latter are sceptical and tend to find authority in force. At the present time we are in danger from the latter. We need more authority of the former type. It is of four kinds, the authority of law, of religion, of public opinion, of great men. The permanent element in the four is the moral feeling of the society involved. The authority of public opinion is stronger than the former two, but is itself dominated by the authority of the leaders of moral feeling and of intellectual activity. Yet even their influence is permanent only in proportion as it tends to improve society. All permanent authority rests on a social basis. The seat of authority for the individual is his own conscience; where this is in doubt recourse should be had to the records of past experience especially of great men as a guide in conduct, and to living leaders as a guide in thought.