“Who authorized you to...?” “Who gave you permission to...?” “What gives you the right...?” Authority is something observable in every facet of life. Merriam-Webster defines “authority” as “freedom granted by one in authority: right; an individual cited or appealed to as an expert; power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior; persons in command; specifically: government.”  Here we see a basic pattern: authority is always passed from one to another. The essential question this raises, however, is who first granted man authority?