He who seeks to regulate everything by law is more likely…
“He who seeks to regulate everything by law is more likely to arouse vices than to reform them. It is best to grant what cannot be abolished, even though it be in itself harmful. How many evils spring from luxury, envy, avarice, drunkenness and the like, yet these are tolerated because they cannot be prevented by legal enactments.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Legal control often backfires, fostering the very vices it aims to curb; tolerating unavoidable harms may be wiser than futile prohibition.
In simple terms: Law can create more problems than it solves.
Key Takeaway
Accept limits of law; focus on moral education.
Themes
law
ethics
human nature
government
vices
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- criminal justice reform
- public health
- personal conduct
Key Concepts
philosophy
political theory
social control
Questions to Reflect On
- Can some vices be reduced without legal bans?
- When is tolerance better than prohibition?
A Different Perspective
Legal bans may be ineffective and generate resistance.