It is better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer.
William BlackstoneRead
THIS law of nature, being co-eval with mankind and dictated by God himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times: no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to this; and such of them as are valid derive all their force, and all their authority, mediately or immediately, from this original.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Natural law is a fundamental principle that takes precedence over human-made laws.
The quote emphasizes the concept of natural law, which is believed to be inherent and universally applicable to all humanity. It suggests that laws created by humans hold no legitimacy if they conflict with the moral laws set by a higher authority, often perceived as God or nature, asserting that all valid laws ultimately derive their strength from these foundational principles.
Themes
Natural LawHuman RightsMoralityLegitimacyEthics
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on human rights, one might reference this quote to underscore the importance of universal moral principles.
More from William Blackstone
All quotes βThat the king can do no wrong is a necessary and fundamental principle of the English constitution.
William BlackstoneRead
The public good is in nothing more essentially interested, than in the protection of every individual's private rights.
William BlackstoneRead
There is nothing which so generally strikes the imagination and engages the affections of mankind, as the right of property.
William BlackstoneRead
Law is the embodiment of the moral sentiment of the people.
William BlackstoneRead
No enactment of man can be considered law unless it conforms to the law of God
William BlackstoneRead
Similar quotes
Pacifism, the preaching of peace in the abstract, is one of the means of duping the working class.
Vladimir LeninRead
Most people don't pray until they're in trouble._x000D_ _x000D_ When people need help they pray a lot._x000D_ _x000D_ But after they get what they want, they slow down._x000D_ _x000D_ If a man takes five showers a day, his body will be clean. _x000D_ _x000D_ Praying five times a day helps me clean my mind.
Muhammad AliRead
People are more complicated than the masks they wear in society.
Robert GreeneRead
It is enough for me to hear someone talk sincerely about ideals, about the future, about philosophy, to hear him say βwe" with a certain inflection of assurance, to hear him invoke "others" and regard himself as their interpreter - for me to consider him my enemy.
Emile M. CioranRead
Sometimes when we are labeled, when we are branded our brand becomes our calling.
William ShakespeareRead
We have the wolf by the ears, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other.
Thomas JeffersonRead