By admin 
The saying “It is not wisdom but authority that makes a law” defines one of the most significant principles governing institutions, in general, and indeed, the legal systems. The paper confines its understanding of this saying with the discussion of what this claim does to the authority and its world in relation to the place of wisdom in the making of laws.
Knowledge of the Term Authority
Authority is the power or legitimate right to decide, enforce rules, or command obedience. In relation to law, authority is always granted to the governing bodies. Governing bodies may include legislatures, courts, and branches of the executive. These offices may create laws that dictate society.
Legitimacy: Authorities derive their powers from either the consent of the governed or established legal frameworks. When people accept the authority of a governing body, they acknowledge its right to create and enforce laws .
Enforcement: Laws created by authorities are backed with mechanisms for enforcement. This means that failure to comply with these laws can bring penalties, fines, or other consequences.
The Role of Wisdom in Lawmaking
While authority sets down laws, prudence actively plays a role in effective and just legislation. Prudence means wise judgment based on knowledge, experience, and understanding of human behavior.
Ethical Considerations: A wise lawmaker takes into consideration the ethical aspects of the law during its formulation. In essence, he ensures that the legislation is placed in position for public good and justice.
Flexibility: Laws must adapt to the changing values of the society and to the attendant circumstances. Prudent legislators are aware that the law guidelines have to be flexible and adaptable.
Conflict Between Power and Prudence
Relationship between power and prudence is far from obvious. After all, the absolute power to make laws does not necessarily mean that those laws are prudent or just. Some of the problems in such relationship are enumerated below:
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Principles: In an authoritative regime, the laws could easily be passed without consideration of the views of the people and the moral standards. This could result in oppressive laws which do not represent the will and interests of the people.
Public Unhappiness: In case laws appeared to be unjust or lacking wisdom, then public unhappiness could arise. Citizens may resist or protest against laws that they feel do not serve them or represent any form of moral standards.
Examples in Practice
Throughout the annals of history, there have been examples upon examples whereby authority would enact legislation that proved not wise:
The Prohibition Era in America: The 18th Amendment banned alcohol production and sales. Though passed through legitimate authority, it ushered in widespread crime and social disorder as showing unwise human psychology.
Civil Rights Movement: Most of the laws that were instigated during segregation were supported by force but, at the same time, were fundamentally unfair. The civil rights movement ensured that laws were made not based on power but based on wisdom and morality.
Conclusion
The statement “it is not wisdom but authority that makes a law” proves that the true good governance and power are some fine lines that make the difference. While authority is key in setting legal frameworks, wisdom ensures that those laws lead to justice and the betterment of society. As societies change, it becomes increasingly important for lawmakers to blend authority with wisdom to erect fair and effective legal systems that reflect the values and needs of their constituents. Ultimately, pure justice is therefore realized not only from legislated laws but from laws legislated with thought towards ethics and good of society.