The Origin of Political Authority

Abstract

Political authority consists of political legitimacy and political obligation. Humans are the type of thing which can have political obligation but only to that thing which is or generates the laws of reason. As the laws of reason and creator of humans and their final ends, God is the only ultimate possible source of political legitimacy. This authority can be delegated subject to human laws promoting the common good and subject to the lawgiver having delegated authority from God, allowing for the possibility of political authority under theism but not atheism.