Authority as epistemic capital

The article proposes that authority denotes an actor's appeals or other references to objects or facts that she expects others to respect or fear. The paper identifies four types of authority: capacity-based, ontological, moral, and charismatic. That is, authority can be built on the assumption that an actor is capable of accomplishing things; on expertise or respected accounts of reality; on deference to principles; and on extraordinary awe attached to an organization or individual. Such authority can be called epistemic capital. Those who are more successful in piling up epistemic capital behind their projects have more influence on others' conduct.