Authority Quote by Sophocles
“Obedience to authority saves many skins”
About This Quote
Source Play: Antigone, 441 BC
Obedience to authority can protect individuals, but may also perpetuate harmful systems.
In simple terms: Following authority can keep you safe.
Key Takeaway
Question authority when it conflicts with ethics.
Themes
authority
obedience
ethics
survival
society
Mood
thoughtful
cautionary
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- military
- workplace
- law enforcement
- civil disobedience
- family
Key Concepts
social contract
moral philosophy
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- When should you defy authority?
- What moral principles guide your compliance?
A Different Perspective
Blind obedience can enable injustice.
![“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)