Introduction
It is important to note that the key moral obligations of political authority are based on the comprehensive understanding of rules of prioritization of value, where some objectives and goals outweigh others. In other words, the basis or foundation of political authority is rooted in the unmalleable code of ethical conduct based on underlying principles. These moral foundations include virtue, covenant, and love for the Lord.
Main body
Firstly, it should be noted that authority must be acquired and exercised through virtue and piety. In The Analects, Confucius states that “‘to rule,’ is ‘to correct oneself,’ which means ‘to rule by virtue.’” Thus, a person must be virtuous and pious in order to have the foundational moral basis to have rightful access to political authority. Secondly, the right to rule is given to some people due to the covenant or pact between these individuals and God. In the Book of Exodus, the Sinaitic covenant between God and the biblical Israelites. In other words, the agreement is not made between two individuals or groups of different powers but rather between an absolute authority of God and its equal servants and creations, which are humans. Therefore, the true right to rule is given by God alone and no one else, which was the case with Moses, who was elevated from other members of the group to become a ruler.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the moral foundations include virtue, covenant, and love for the Lord. The others are obliged to obey because, as Augustine puts it in Letter 220, people ought to love God and not the world since God’s love and mercy is eternal, whereas this world is finite. Political authority is rooted in moral conduct through virtue, which is granted by God on the basis of the covenant, and thus, people are obliged to follow the Lord’s wisdom.