Sometimes it is necessary to challenge the authority

Some people may think that the ideals of people in the positions of authority should be trusted completely and shouldn’t be challenged; however, even though the people in authority may be professionals and leaders in their field of expertise, it is still necessary to challenge what they say is true. By sometimes challenging the ideas and decisions made by the people in authority, it helps people become more aware of their own rights and take further action to protect them. Through challenging the ideas of authorities, it can also help authorities become more aware of the choices they make because of the majority constantly critiquing and double-checking the things they claim to be true. This can be demonstrated in the Edward Snowden Affair in the U.S. and Greek tragedy Antigone, where the belief that sometimes it is necessary to challenge what people in authority claims to be true is further depicted.

To begin with, the idea that what people in authority claim to be true should be challenged plays out in the Edward Snowden Affair. Edward Snowden, former contractor of the National Security Association, leaked information about invasive mass surveillance practices used against the citizens of the United States. It consists of collecting everything a user does on the internet using the XKeyscore program, which allows government officials to browse through an individual’s email, chat, and internet browsing history. This practice used on the U.S. citizens was claimed by the government as an act of ensuring security in the United States.

However, the classified information leaked by Snowden indicates that this practice was even inflicted on people who weren’t suspects of crimes, therefore causing great dispute between the government and its people on the rectitude of this mass surveillance project. If the citizens of the United States did not challenge what the government claimed to be a beneficial and security ensuring for them, they would’ve had their privacy invaded, and valuable personal information collected by government associations could potentially put them in danger. This example fully supports the idea that it is necessary to challenge what people in authority claim to be true.

Similarly, the Greek tragedy Antigone also attests to the idea that it is necessary to challenge the ideals of people in authority. Antigone, a greek tragedy written by famous playwright Sophocles depicts the story of protagonist Antigone who seeks to hold a respectful burial for her brother who sacrificed his life in war. In Ancient Greek, a burial that consists of certain rituals shows respect not only to the deceased, but also to the gods; however, King Creon refused to permit this burial in order to test the impact of his power as king.

Antigone, who realises that the prohibition not only dishonours his brother, but also defies the gods, made it her mission to hold a respectful burial for her brother. She challenged Creon with her persistence to host the burial. Even in Greek tragedies, characters are able to illustrate the idea that it is necessary to challenge what people in the position of authority claim to be true. According to the play, if Antigone hadn’t challenge Creon’s orders, the gods would’ve inflicted hazardous plagues on droughts onto the people of Greece, which portrays how much harm people could be in if the ideas of the authority wasn’t tested.

Ultimately, it is correct to say that it is sometimes necessary to test what the people in authority claim to be true. The choices and ideas that the people in authoritative positions promote may not always be the most beneficial to their people, therefore, it is our responsibility to step in and make sure that their decisions do not invade our rights and is beneficial for the society as a whole. This is evidenced by both the Edward Snowden affair and Antigone, which illustrate the importance of us taking part in helping the authority make better choices for our community, which means occasionally challenging what they claim to be true.