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In the light of an institutional and symbolic erosion of authority and, secondly, of the need for critical thinking about it, this paper starts by recalling the two dimensions of the notions auctoritas and potestas, namely establishing and constraining. To break this antagonism, the exercise of authority requires trust and recognition, but also asymmetry if it is to provide control functions and regulate social relations. From the educational point of view, authority must seek the autonomy and acceptance of accountability by the child, but there must also be discipline (Kant) and dependence with respect of things (Rousseau). In the final section, this paper critically analyzes the theories of A. S. Neill on the deconstruction of adult authority in favor of a community of equals, to highlight their paradoxes. The challenge today is to articulate the rights of the subject, the expression of desire, the social capacity of individuals to value emancipation, and educational acculturation.