I came across the subject of society’s relationship with Authority while reading Frank Furedi’s article “Celebrity Culture”.
According to the author, celebrities are empowered by our culture’s uneasy affiliation with Authority. He advocates that celebrities are endowed with moral influence, fulfilling a few of the authoritative solutions that our twenty-first century society demands: “(…) one of the ways that communities respond to the erosion of customs, traditions and formally authoritative institutions is through the charisma and personal atributes of unique individuals. (…) Celebrities may not possess heroic qualities but as highly visible role models they have become the object of imitation.” Furedi reflects on the celebrity phenomenon, questioning if those admired well-known people are always the correct choices to receive influential power, and how technologies have turned celebrities into objects of mass consumption. Whereas, I would like to focus on the following questions: Do we really need role models and authoritative figures? How can society demand and simultaneously hate Authority? Frank Furedi assures that society needs some form of authority to survive, stating: “One thing that is certain is that we cannot live without some form of authority. Those who reject some form of authority as illegitimate usually embrace others as acceptable”. In “Anarchism: Arguments for and against”, Albert Meltzer presents the reasoning against those, like Furedi, who assume authority as an essential element for society’s operation. For anarchists, freedom is the basis of our existence. Mankind is born free, with no duties, ideals, obligations,worships, submissions, etc. Therefore, those imposed creations are only lies. “All present systems of ownership mean that some are deprived of the fruits of their labour.”, explains Meltzer, while defending how anarchists abolish property, perceive work’s organization method as slavery and government as tyranny. It’s not difficult to understand the anarchists logic. Humanity has inherent value in itself, and in theory everyone should be able to work and receive what their efforts were worth, without the requirement of control or surveillance. In theory, Authority would not be necessary, because everyone could understand their role in society and human intrinsic ethics would maintain order. This view of the world is evaluated as unfeasible or utopian by general critics. “How can workers run a factory without direction and guidance i.e. without authority?” That’s the Marxists perspective on Authority, which can be associated with Paul H.Rubin’s concept of Productive Hierarchy. (http://beatrizbagulho.weebly.com/critical-perspectives/hierarchy) Everyone having the same power and importance, all opinions affecting the process and the outcome, might seem ideal in theoretical terms. But practically the picture changes. Managing projects and communities with the abolishment of hierarchies or working methods, becomes a very confusing and demanding task. Without some amount of control, production and organization is less efficient. Understanding and reflecting on the role of Authority in modern society is of extreme relevance. How can Authority be so essential and simultaneously hated? Why does society have an uneasy relationship with Authority? “(…) authority has a very bad press (…).” - asserts Furedi - “(…) That the term authority is associated so readily with the act of abuse is symptomatic of western society’s disenchantment with the so-called authority figure.” What may be the origin for this lack of trust in authority and hierarchy? History presents us the answer for this interrogation. Since the introduction of organized human communities, authoritarian figures and elites have abused their privileges over the rest of their nation. Why does this happen and how can we control it? People need to be aware of how much power is put into specific hands, and how that power should be surveilled and dosed. But firstly, its important to recognize Authority’s importance in the management of our social, political, cultural and economical systems. “We have become far more able to demonise authority than to affirm it.”, says Frank Furedi. Without accepting Authority, is it possible to regulate it?
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