<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I don't live in the states, and I don't have access to people (such as teachers) who can help to grade my essays. I looked around this forum and saw that some people posted their essays here to be graded by this community, so I decided to give it a shot. I would really appreciate anyone who helps to grade this essay... thanks!</p>
<p>Prompt:</p>
<p>"Sometimes it is necessary to challenge what people in authority claim to be true. Although some respect for authority is, no doubt, necessary in order for any group or organization to function, questioning the people in charge- even if they are experts or leaders in their fields- makes us better thinkers. It forces all concerned to defend old ideas and decisions and to consider new ones. Sometimes it can even correct old errors in thought and put an end to wrong actions."</p>
<p>Question: "Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in authority?"</p>
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<p>People in authority must be challenged and criticised regularly, and never left to wield unchecked power. This is an important responsibility that all citizen should should have the right to perform, for it not only benefits the those who do so, but also helps society as a whole.</p>
<p>Immanuel Kant, one of the gratest philosophers of the sixteenth century, once wrote that maturity is the courage to form personal opinions through independent thought, and to defend those opinions without fear of rejection or oppression. Imagine a country where everyone blindingly accepts orders and rules given by a powerful few, and act on mere faith that their leaders are correct by virtue of their positions of authority. Such a country might be neat and orderly, and could even be better off than the one I currently live in. Yet, I personally do not want to sacrifice the right to my own opinion in order to live there.</p>
<p>Authority does not necessarily equate to being correct. In fact, history has shown that figures of authority can, and have, been wrong about many issues. Take Galileo for example. He was an astronomer in the fourteenth century who discovered that the Earth orbits the Sun, not the other way around. His findings contradicted those of the Catholic Church, and he was sent to prison for publishing his work. Several centuries later, we know that he was correct, but many of his peers at that time did not believe his scientific findings, as they looked to the Church as the only source of truth. Fortunately, those days are over, and many societies have political groups and individuals which actively challenge the authorities on matters of national importance in order to keep them in check. Ideally, dissent puts policies and issues under scrutiny, allowing governments to make better, well-informed decisions.</p>
<p>In addition to keeping governments in check, challenging what authorities say (if they are wrong, of course) is a good way to develop critical thinking skills and independent opinions. This puts their beliefs to the test of rational debate and allows people to develop the courage to stand up for the truth. Such courage was what spurred Martin Luther King to free African-Americans from the tyranny of racial oppression, and Nelson Mandela to end the racial apartheid in South Africa. Perhaps the next Mandela or King could be an ordinary person who dared to speak the truth in the face of an oppressive regime.</p>
<p>I strongly believe that it is necessary to challenge authority in order to keep it in check, prevent abuses of power, and to champion the truth. However, one should not my word for it, no matter how much authority I have; people should form their own rational opinions, and always remember that people in authority do not have a monopoly on the truth.</p>