--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Common Law of England has been…" description: "\"The Common Law of England has been laboriously built about a mythical figure-the figure of 'The Reasonable Man'.\" — A. P. Herbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/a-p-herbert-18929_built_the-common-law-of-england-has-been-labor_693480.png" --- # The Common Law of England has been laboriously built about… ![“The Common Law of England has been laboriously built about a mythical figure-the figure of 'The Reasonable Man'.” quote by A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/a-p-herbert-18929_built_the-common-law-of-england-has-been-labor_693480.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/a-p-herbert-18929_built_the-common-law-of-england-has-been-labor_693480.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/a-p-herbert-18929_built_the-common-law-of-england-has-been-labor_693480.png) > “The Common Law of England has been laboriously built about a mythical figure-the figure of 'The Reasonable Man'.” [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The law is built around the fictional "reasonable man," a mythical standard. **In simple terms:** Legal standards are based on an imagined average person. Key Takeaway Question the "reasonable man" assumption. Themes law justice myth Mood critical analytical Type legal philosophical When to use this quote - courtroom arguments - policy drafting - public discourse Key Concepts legal theory social construct Questions to Reflect On - How does the "reasonable man" affect fairness? - What alternatives exist? A Different Perspective The concept can ignore diverse perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Reasonable man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasonable-man/) ## Related quotes > [No one familiar with the common law of England can read the Constitution of the United States without observing the great desire of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-freeman-miller/no-one-familiar-with-the-common-law-of-england-can-read-the/) [Samuel Freeman Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-freeman-miller/) > [Christianity is part of the Common Law of England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-hale/christianity-is-part-of-the-common-law-of-england/) [Matthew Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-hale/) > [The Bible has always been regarded as part of the Common Law of England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/the-bible-has-always-been-regarded-as-part-of-the-common-law-of/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) > [An act of God was defined as something which no reasonable man could have expected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/an-act-of-god-was-defined-as-something-which-no-reasonable-man-could/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [Jesus is a mythical figure in the tradition of pagan mythology and almost nothing in all of ancient literature would lead one to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-mckinsey/jesus-is-a-mythical-figure-in-the-tradition-of-pagan-mythology-and/) Dennis McKinsey > [“To the younger generation," writes Carl Schurz, "Abraham Lincoln has already become a half mythical figure, which, in the haze of historic distance, grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ketcham/to-the-younger-generation-writes-carl-schurz-abraham-lincoln-has/) Henry Ketcham > [Essentially the Succubus is a mythical figure - who used to come in and cause trouble with innocent men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myanna-buring/essentially-the-succubus-is-a-mythical-figure-who-used-to-come-in-and/) [MyAnna Buring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myanna-buring/) > [“Nico studied his face – his sea-green eyes, his grin, his ruffled black hair. Somehow Percy Jackson seemed like a regular guy now, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/nico-studied-his-face-his-sea-green-eyes-his-grin-his-ruffled-black/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I consider myself a reasonable man. As such, I tend to expect others to behave with a modicum of reason and common sense. Especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-horton/i-consider-myself-a-reasonable-man-as-such-i-tend-to-expect-others-to/) Peter Horton > [Reasonable men are not reasonable when you're in the bubbles which have characterized capitalism since the beginning of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/reasonable-men-are-not-reasonable-when-you-re-in-the-bubbles-which/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [Many modern scholars have found the asceticism expressed in Plato unacceptable; it does not sound like the advice of a reasonable man in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mcevilley/many-modern-scholars-have-found-the-asceticism-expressed-in-plato/) [Thomas McEvilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mcevilley/) > [I want to be a reasonable man in an unreasonable world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-clark/i-want-to-be-a-reasonable-man-in-an-unreasonable-world/) [Ryan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-clark/) > [The essential tendency of life is toward happiness . . . . Optimism is the only true condition for a reasonable man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-essential-tendency-of-life-is-toward-happiness-optimism-is-the/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [The most reasonable man always manages, when he pulls the trigger, to become a dispenser of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-genet/the-most-reasonable-man-always-manages-when-he-pulls-the-trigger-to/) [Jean Genet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-genet/) > [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) ## More by A. P. Herbert > [The portions of a woman which appeal to man's depravity Are constructed with considerable care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/the-portions-of-a-woman-which-appeal-to-man-s-depravity-are/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [An act of God was defined as something which no reasonable man could have expected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/an-act-of-god-was-defined-as-something-which-no-reasonable-man-could/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [“At the Theatre: To the Lady Behind Me Dear Madam, you have seen this play; I never saw it till today. You know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/at-the-theatre-to-the-lady-behind-me-dear-madam-you-have-seen-this/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [As my poor father used to say In 1963, Once people start on all this Art Goodbye, moralitee! And what my father used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/as-my-poor-father-used-to-say-in-1963-once-people-start-on-all-this/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [For I must write to The Times tonight, and save the world from sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/for-i-must-write-to-the-times-tonight-and-save-the-world-from-sin/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [Justice should be cheap but judges expensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/justice-should-be-cheap-but-judges-expensive/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [“Holy Mother we do believe, That without sin Thou didst conceive; May we now in Thee believing, Also sin without conceiving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/holy-mother-we-do-believe-that-without-sin-thou-didst-conceive-may-we/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [A man who has made up his mind on a given subject twenty-five years ago and continues to hold his political opinions after he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/a-man-who-has-made-up-his-mind-on-a-given-subject-twenty-five-years/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [Citizens who take it upon themselves to do unusual actions which attract the attention of the police should be careful to bring these actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/citizens-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-do-unusual-actions-which/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [aven, I have given up smoking again!... God! I feel fit. Homicidal, but fit. A different man. Irritable, moody, depressed, rude, nervy, perhaps; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/aven-i-have-given-up-smoking-again-god-i-feel-fit-homicidal-but-fit-a/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [There is no reason why a joke should not be appreciated more than once. Imagine how little good music there would be if, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/there-is-no-reason-why-a-joke-should-not-be-appreciated-more-than/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [Well, fancy giving money to the Government! Might as well have put it down the drain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/well-fancy-giving-money-to-the-government-might-as-well-have-put-it/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [Men who would face torture without a word become blasphemous at the short fourteenth. It is clear that the game of golf may well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/men-who-would-face-torture-without-a-word-become-blasphemous-at-the/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [People must not do things for fun. We are not here for fun. There is no reference to fun in any Act of Parliament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/people-must-not-do-things-for-fun-we-are-not-here-for-fun-there-is-no/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [I am sure that the party system is right and necessary. There must be some scum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/i-am-sure-that-the-party-system-is-right-and-necessary-there-must-be/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) [Explore all 33 A. P. 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