Arguments from authority carry little weight — authorities have made mistakes in the past. They will do so again in the future. Perhaps a better way to say it is that in science there are no authorities; at most, there are experts.

Carl Sagan
About This Quote

Authority is the right of someone to give orders, or the power to direct or control something. Authority is granted by the manipulation of public opinion. Authority is usually derived from having a title, such as, “General” or “Senator.” When one person gives orders to another, this is called authoritarianism.

Source: The Demonhaunted World: Science As A Candle In The Dark

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