<p>I just took my first diagnostic SAT out of the blue book and I’m interested in knowing what my score would be for the essay. I would appreciate very much if anyone could tell me what they think this would get out of 12.</p>
<p>Prompt: Is it important to question people in positions of authority?</p>
<p>Some level of authority is crucial for any organized structure to operate efficiently, safely, and peacefully, but blind adherence to such authority leads only to ignorance and oppression. It is necessary to question rather than accept, for challenging authority is the sole way to prevent tyranny. These views are supported in pop culture, history, and even in the writings of Enlightenment thinkers.</p>
<p>In the popular manga Full Metal Alchemist, a parallel world from our own is plagued by the threads of homunculi, villains born of alchemy and sacrificed lives. Those working in the ranks of the military, such as the protagonist Edward Elric, are told their objective is to aid in vanquishing these creatures, but Edward soon finds secrets embedded within the government. While others were content to passively follow their instructions, he questioned his and chose instead to investigate the inner workings of the higher ranking officials. He discovered the President himself was, in fact, a homunculus. Had Edward chosen to acquiesce to the demands made upon him, he would not have been able to prevent the destruction the President planned to inflict.</p>
<p>These ideas are seen as well in our own world’s relatively recent past with the events that transpired in Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler rested at the summit of the chain of command and instructed the soldiers and officers working beneath him to carry out his cruel and damaging plans. The vast majority of these listened to him and merely did as they were told, even when it involved inhumane acts and loss of lives. Some followed orders out of fear but many were swayed by the simple fact that he was an authority figure. By not rebelling, these Nazis perpetuated crimes against humanity.</p>
<p>Even the great philosophers of the Enlightenment period supported independent thought and challenge of authority, demonstrated through the ideas of John Locke. A prominent philosopher, he argued that people accept authority in the form of government with the agreement that the latter would protect the rights of the former. However, if the authority in question fails to hold up their end of the so-called social contract, the people have the right to overthrow the resulting tyranny. If the populace fails to challenge the actions and ideas of the government to begin with, though, then this cleansing of filth in authority cannot occur.</p>
<p>The concept of questioning authority is seen in so many forms of media because of its undeniable truth. Only by refusing to blindly follow the orders of those in authority positions can organizational structures be improved and perhaps even rescued from the clutches of tyranny.</p>