View the permissions of all files and directories above a path

Mode

$> namei -m /full/pathname
f: /full/pathname
 dr-xr-xr-x /
 drwxr-xr-x full
 drwxr-xr-x pathname

Owner/Group

$> namei -o /full/pathname
f: /full/pathname
 d root root /
 d root root full
 d root root pathname

All

$> namei -l /full/pathname
f: /full/pathname
dr-xr-xr-x root root /
drwxr-xr-x root root full
drwxr-xr-x root root pathname