“It was not Zeus who published this decree, nor have those who dwell with the gods below made such laws for men.”Sofocle · Antigona · -441 · versul 450
A command is valid only if it comes from a legitimate authority, not merely a powerful one.
Antigona separates two orders of authority: the ceremonial law of family and gods, and the written law of the state. Creon conflates them, claiming political power covers everything. The mechanism is a challenge to the source: a command is valid only if it comes from a legitimate authority. A bureaucrat who insists that internal regulations can override an employee's fundamental rights speaks exactly like Creon.
Why it matters Useful when someone confuses the legal with the legitimate and needs to understand why they may refuse an abusive order.