Authority Quote by Lucy Beckett
““The authority of the Church was thrown over by the authority of the state. Twenty years only have passed, and the authority of the state is already thrown over by the authority of conscience. ... I fear for those yet unborn, that they are already betrayed. Robbed of the truth we can inherit, they will know their sins as only misery, and their forgiveness they will not know at all because they do not know God. Then at last men will be free of God. Then they will be slaves indeed.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Unknown source, date unknown
Authority shifts from church to state to conscience, leading to loss of divine guidance.
In simple terms: Authority moves from church to state to conscience,
Key Takeaway
Question the role of authority.
Themes
authority
religion
state
conscience
freedom
Mood
critical
philosophical
Type
essay
reflection
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
theological critique
political philosophy
existential risk
Questions to Reflect On
- What is the value of spiritual authority?
- How can conscience guide without dogma?
A Different Perspective
May be overly pessimistic.
![“Worrying about what does not yet exist, is that a gesture of love or the worst kind of argument putting pressure on the living, an excess of scrupulous conscience? For fear of soiling our hands, we prefer to cut them off right now. [...] How far can responsibility go without turning into an…” quote by Pascal Bruckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0bd/pascal-bruckner-16734_ethics_worrying-about-what-does-not-yet-exist-i_1917317.jpg)
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)
