New Polity The Crisis of Authority with D. C. Schindler
27 snips
Jul 17, 2025 
D. C. Schindler, an author and thinker on authority, discusses the critical loss of authority as a defining human crisis. He connects Nietzsche’s idea of the 'death of God' to societal collapse and the fragmentation of social order. Schindler outlines how true authority should be rooted in transcendent values, challenging perceptions of freedom tied to submission. The conversation also dives into the importance of self-sacrifice, the interplay between obedience and education, and the evolution of authority through history, ultimately arguing for a balanced relationship between leadership and society.
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Three Faces of Authority
- Authority has three faces: the priest, the prophet, and the king, each essential for full reality.
- The king without the prophet's truth is mere power, lacking true authority.
Medieval vs Modern Authority Views
- The medieval view of authority combines natural, divine, and popular elements without tension.
- The modern "divine right of kings" rejects mediation, claiming unmediated personal authority as power.
Loss of Mediated Authority and Sacrament
- The loss of mediated authority in kingship coincides with the loss of a sacramental worldview.
- Unmediated authority is power, leading to the collapse of social and symbolic order.
