The Authority Rule
Authority is an imbalance of power. Sometimes it is trivial and temporary, such as when one person is talking and another is listening. Sometimes it is serious, and established as part of a system of social rules. Sometimes it is justified, such as when a parent prevents a child running into the road. Most of the time, however, it is not justified, and that is when it causes problems.
There is no prior justification for authority. The default setting has to be freedom; in other words, equality of power: the absence of authority.
In practice, justification is almost never attempted for authority. This is especially true for established authority, which is always established not through the agreement of its subjects but through force.
The authority rule is straightforward: if you become aware of a form of authority, question it.