4.3.1 Moral Leaders and Authorities

(This is an archived extract from the book Patterns of Power: Edition 2)

Moral influence is exerted by persuading people what is right and what is wrong. People need some credibility to do this; for example:

· Some individuals are recognised as leaders within a family.

· Some are esteemed for their knowledge or perceived wisdom.

· Religious groups apply moral influence on their adherents; some apply religious law, which is discussed in the next chapter (5.3.3).

· The UN has some influence, based on the legitimacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Appendix 1).

The amount of power wielded in these different ways varies between cultures; in some cases it can be seen as a form of authority.

The utopian idea of being governed entirely in accordance with instructions given by God sounds very persuasive, but there are contradictions and ambiguities in all religious texts – so in practice God speaks through a mouthpiece or interpreter, who is human and who has weaknesses and ambitions. Religious leaders may become politicians if they want to be directly involved in governing the country, so they are then exerting two kinds of power: Moral and Political.

Leaders and peer groups can exercise moral power by direct influence on people's current behaviour (4.3.2) or, by influencing their beliefs (4.3.3), giving them a moral compass which affects their subsequent behaviour.