#authority

The Priestly Code preponderates over the rest of the legislation in force, as well as in bulk; in all matters of primary importance it is the normal and final authority. ↗

— Julius Wellhausen

#bulk #code #final #force #importance

The being cannot be termed rational or virtuous, who obeys any authority, but that of reason. ↗

— Mary Wollstonecraft

#authority #being #cannot #obeys #rational

Modern industrial civilisation has developed within a certain system of convenient myths. The driving force of modern industrial civilisation has been individual material gain, which is accepted as legitimate, even praiseworthy, on the grounds that private vices yield public benefits⎯in the classic formulation. Now, it's long been understood very well that a society that is based on this principle will destroy itself in time. It can only persist with whatever suffering and injustice it entails as long as it's possible to pretend that the destructive forces that humans create are limited: that the World is an infinite resource, and that the World is an infinite garbage-can. At this stage of History, either one of two things is possible: either the general population will take control of its own destiny and will concern itself with community-interests, guided by values of solidarity and sympathy and concern for others; or, alternatively, there will be no destiny for anyone to control. As long as some specialised class is in a position of authority, it is going to set policy in the special interests that it serves. But the conditions of survival, let alone justice, require rational social planning in the interests of the community as a whole⎯and, by now, that means the Global Community. The question is whether privileged élites should dominate mass-communication, and should use this power as they tell us they must, namely, to impose necessary illusions, manipulate and deceive the stupid majority, and remove them from the public arena. The question, in brief, is whether Democracy and Freedom are values to be preserved or threats to be avoided. In this possibly-terminal phase of human existence, Democracy and Freedom are more than values to be treasured, they may well be essential to survival. ↗

— Noam Chomsky

#anarchism #authority #brainwashing #chomsky #communication

I cannot stand authority. ↗

— Mikhail Baryshnikov

#cannot #i #stand

I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven. ↗

— A.W. Tozer

#bored #earth #god #heaven #man

The only way you can truly get to know an author is through the trail of ink he leaves behind him. The person you think you see is only an empty character: truth is always hidden in fiction. ↗

— Carlos Ruiz Zafón

#authority

This is a work of fiction. Still, given an infinite number of possible worlds, it must be true on one of them. And if a story set in an infinite number of possible worlds is true in one of them, then it must be true in all of them. So maybe, it's not as fictional as we think. ↗

— Neil Gaiman

#infinite #infinite-worlds #neil-gaiman #worlds #authority

I have it on good authority there's going to be a new 'gate' opening up soon over on the south side of the wall." The truth dawned on me. "Oh lord. You're the one who's been doling out C4." "You make it sound easy," he said with a frown. "That stuff's hard to get a hold of. ↗

— Richelle Mead

#last-sacrifice #rosemarie-hathaway #authority

Your book is a springboard and integral strategic part of your overall game plan. Being an author positions you strongly upon your platform. It is the passport which will start you on your journey to becoming the recognized authority in the niche or space that you work in or aspire to work in. ↗

— Kytka Hilmar-Jezek

#book-power #book-strategy #platform #write-a-book #niche

The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis. ↗

— Dalai Lama

#analysis #authority #critical #individual #must