The article deals with teacher authority from the point of view of dilemmas it can cause when used in education. In the first part authors try to define the term dilemma in association with authority by comparing it to antinomy.
The work then introduces several approaches to teacher authority dilemmas, including the ones of Fromm, Fink and other renowned scholars. Further, dilemmas associated with exercising of teacher authority are presented using examples from current research dealing with this phenomenon.
The authors also present results of two of their recent surveys focusing on student teachers' understanding of teacher authority dilemmas and teacher interaction styles that may cause them. Based on the literature and research authors in the last part of their article show most common and controversial teacher dilemmas related to the use of authority.