Prompt: Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?
Essay: It is important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority. If scientists never questioned the old order and ideas of renowned experts in their fields, no new discoveries would ever be made. For a long time, people believed the Earth was the center of the universe because the geocentric model was the widely accepted model of the universe at the time. However, Copernicus questioned the validity of that claim and was able to prove that the sun is actually at the center of the universe in our currently used heliocentric model. Also, there was a time when people believed the Earth was flat. However, the discoveries and observations of scientists and explorers proved that the Earth is actually round and that you can’t sail off the edge of the Earth. Outside of science, it is important to question the authority of those in charge of making the law and enforcing it. In light of recent events of police brutality, families of victims of police brutality have been questioning the law enforcement system by bringing cases to court and working to try to effect change so that the law enforcement system would be more fair and less violent. Many police departments have recently required officers to wear body cameras and go through new training procedures. Challenging authority is also crucial for politicians who are engaged in political debates against their rivals. Politicians such as presidential candidates are forced to think about their standpoint and views on the issues and potentially re-evaluate their ideas and consider new ones. Debate allows politicians to determine what their best plan of action is, and it enables them to determine what points to uphold because they can defend them well, and what points to reconsider and potentially change. This allows the politicians to come up with what they believe to be the best policy for their nation and its people. It is very important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority. This skepticism of old beliefs is what enables new discoveries in science, the maintenance of a safe and fair law enforcement and legal system, and the strengthening of action plans of politicians who try to create the best policy for their people.
This is the first SAT essay I’ve ever written, so I know it’s rough and not very coherent. I’d really appreciate it if you could give me a score out of 12 and some comments on how to improve my writing, in general or specific to this piece. Thanks!