ABSTRACT
As teachers are appropriately held responsible for what occurs in the classroom, so with responsibility goes authority. Recognizing the extent to which students are necessarily dependent on their teachers leads to the realization of how much harm faculty members can inflict. Teachers, however, cannot avoid responsibility for guiding the learning process. If second-graders fail to learn multiplication, the teacher cannot plausibly blame the students' weak mathematical talents; the problem obviously lies with the teacher. The same conclusion should be reached when a philosophy instructor reports that the students were unable to grasp why a valid argument might have false premises. To recognize a teacher's authority, however, is not to suggest that the teacher should act in an authoritarian manner. The appropriate relationship is that of guide, not god. Guides are expected to be familiar with the areas through which they lead, pointing out highlights and warning of dangers.
