Federico Reyes Heroles
Etymology is regaining ground. The word “authority” provokes mixed reactions: “the authorities acted this way…,” “the authorities did not proceed to….” Some reject it on principle, taking the extreme position of anarchism. Others, on the contrary, demand it as a universal panacea; they are addicted to it. *Augere* is the ancient Roman expression that has nothing to do with power. Auctor referred to the “art of fostering growth,” of thriving. That is what distinguished the auctor. Hence, the questions: Who has the authority in education, business, politics, healthcare, or any other field? Societies need legitimate authorities to achieve that growth.
Everything evolves. For John Locke—the great liberal—the pater familias was the only one with the authority to guide and nurture his descendants. Today, this seems archaic. However, despite the necessary State involvement in education, parents’ role as guides is indisputable. Who should provide guidance? That is why a series of procedures has been established to select or appoint those who should exercise the various types of authority. Let us remember: this is about growth; the root of *augere* (*aug*) means to magnify or increase. Words such as *auge* (boom) are derived from it. The sources are very clear: we are not seeking the creator of something, but rather the one who makes it possible for something to grow. It is about someone with the ability to foster and improve. That is auctoritas—exercising that gift. All societies, I insist, need such authorities, whether a teacher or an orchestra conductor, a priest before his flock. The same applies to the leader of a nation.
So much for the benevolent side of exercising authority. But there is also the other side.
Those who exercise authority are obligated to ensure that certain precepts are followed; only then will their community grow. Authority lies in that. That is why—because of the risk involved when someone imposes criteria or decisions while claiming a false authority—societies rigorously regulate how authority is exercised. At the head of a nation-State, there must be an authority whose actions are perfectly regulated. Only in this way is true authority preserved. This prevents both authoritarianism and the cancer caused by a lack of authority. “I can do it” and “I must do it” go hand in hand. Detailed regulations serve as a guarantee for both sides—for those governed and those who govern.
The use of law enforcement—the police—is a litmus test. When a citizen or a group of citizens disrupts the lives of others, the authority is obligated to act. The common good or higher good takes precedence; it stands above personal or political considerations. There are two beneficiaries: the government and, of course, the citizens, who must be certain that if X occurs, the authorities will intervene—they are obligated to do so. It is not a discretionary decision; it is the most solid and concrete expression of the rule of law. Authority exists to be exercised.
With the World Cup, we have witnessed for months a clear case of extortion by groups that take advantage of the spotlight to make both legitimate and illegitimate demands. It always happens. The National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE) tops the list—it knows no bounds. But air traffic controllers, who have been demanding support and decent, technically sound working conditions for years, are also fighting. Lives are in their hands—in their training and their rest.
Toll booths have been seized, businesses disrupted, hundreds of thousands of citizens disrupted in their daily lives—and the authorities… are nowhere to be seen. The CNTE is in charge. Meanwhile, the air traffic controllers aren’t even on the radar.
Why isn’t Mexico growing? Largely due to the brutal erosion of legitimate authority.
The cancer of misgovernment is spreading; it has already metastasized. What a tragedy that the head of state cannot travel throughout Mexico without being stalked.
Exercising authority is not an ideological act; it is a necessary mechanism to guarantee the viability of the State.
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