Some people are especially respected because they maintain exemplary behavior or because they stand out for the connection between what they say and what they do. These individuals can become a moral authority for the people around them and for the whole of society.
In most professional fields there is a hierarchical scale where one or more bosses exercise power and, consequently, have a certain authority over their subordinates. This does not mean that the head of a company or entity has moral authority, since this condition does not depend on the hierarchical scale but on the human qualities of the individual.
Someone with moral authority is someone who is committed to their ideas and values to their ultimate consequences.
He is a person who tries to be consistent and, consequently, does not express contradictions between what he does and what he says. In short, moral authority is a status that someone possesses due to their ethical trajectory and their values. This rank is achieved by being fair in decisions, adopting honorable conduct, and performing good-oriented actions.
A corrupt, hypocritical and unprincipled individual can become successful in his personal and professional life, but it would not make sense for him to be considered a moral benchmark.
Three historical examples of moral authority that ended tragically
Socrates promoted the philosophical debate among the Athenians and passionately defended the search for truth and respect for the laws.
Mahatma Gandhi was the political leader who led India towards independence. He was a peaceful man who advocated non-violence as a weapon that should accompany the civil disobedience of his people. His attitude led him to jail and all kinds of ailments. He became the top leader of India because he exercised moral authority over others.
Martin Luther King was radically opposed to the racial segregation of blacks in the United States. His firm position was really uncomfortable and, in fact, he suffered all kinds of threats.
In the three mentioned characters there are several coincidences: they were guided by firm convictions, all of them were moral references for their followers and all three ended up tragically dying (Socrates was forced to take hemlock after undergoing a trial plagued with irregularities and Gandhi and Luther were assassinated ).
In the civilization of Ancient Rome
For the Romans the auctoritas was a virtue that some people or institutions possessed. This quality gave them a certain moral power over the whole of society. In this context, the members of the Senate should be individuals with honor, with a sense of justice and worthy of respect.
Fotolia photos: Mek / Freshidea
