The thesis examines the relationships between socialization, knowledge, and authority in institutional education and upbringing. It is based on the premise that authority in education cannot be abolished, only its forms of expression can change. The key question, therefore, is what form of authority should be adopted. The theoretical part first defines three central concepts: upbringing, socialization, and education and presents their differences and connections. This is followed by an examination of the function of authority from a psychoanalytic perspective. The central part analyzes three historical forms of pedagogical authority: apostolic authority, covert authority, and the rational authority of reason. Each of these forms is critically evaluated in terms of its advantages and shortcomings. Based on this analysis, the thesis proceeds to distinguish between a substantialist and a dialogical conception of authority and introduces the concept of self-limiting authority. The concluding part revisits the question of what authority in the future should look like.
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