Rola autorytetu w etyce
Authority and its role in Ethics

Summary/Abstract: The subject of the role that authority plays in our moral decision-making is an important one and while it is recognised that as autonomous individuals we take responsibility for our actions, how we come determine how to act inevitably involves authority. We briefly explore what is meant by “authority”, relating it to the teaching of ethics and also to the role of testimony in the formation of the beliefs and values which inform our decision-making. Commented on also is the role of the state as an authority, the sources of that authority and its relation to the individual decision-maker. In relation to this, the tension between external authority and conscience is briefly mentioned, though not discussed. It is concluded that critical reflection and the use of reason are important elements in considering how authority is to be involved in individual decision-making in moral questions.

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