AO1

• Legitimacy of authority

  • societies are structured hierarchically
  • Some people hold authority over the rest of us who are more likely to obey those who we perceive as above us (parents and teachers)
  • These authority figures have legitimacy - we give up some independence to people we trust to exercise authority - we learn to accept authority in childhood
• Problems of authority

  • Sometimes legitimate authority is used in a negative way
  • Given the right conditions people are capable of committing horrible acts when the order is legitimate
  • leaders such as Hitler used legitimacy of authority destructively, ordering people to behave in dangerous and cruel ways