--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Judge Douglas says that whoever, or…" description: "\"When Judge Douglas says that whoever, or whatever community, wants slaves, they have a right to have them, he is perfectly logical if there is nothing ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/abraham-lincoln-88_community_when-judge-douglas-says-that-whoever-or_3014098.png" --- # When Judge Douglas says that whoever, or whatever… ![“When Judge Douglas says that whoever, or whatever community, wants slaves, they have a right to have them, he is perfectly logical if there is nothing wrong in the institution; but if you admit that it is wrong, he cannot logically say that anybody has a right to do wrong.” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/abraham-lincoln-88_community_when-judge-douglas-says-that-whoever-or_3014098.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/abraham-lincoln-88_community_when-judge-douglas-says-that-whoever-or_3014098.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/abraham-lincoln-88_community_when-judge-douglas-says-that-whoever-or_3014098.png) > “When Judge Douglas says that whoever, or whatever community, wants slaves, they have a right to have them, he is perfectly logical if there is nothing wrong in the institution; but if you admit that it is wrong, he cannot logically say that anybody has a right to do wrong.” [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If an institution is immoral, claiming a right to uphold it is illogical; moral truth overrides legal claims. **In simple terms:** Wrongness invalidates rights claims. Key Takeaway Reject immoral rights. Themes ethics law justice Mood thoughtful serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy reform - civil rights activism - legal education - public discourse Key Concepts moral philosophy human rights Questions to Reflect On - How do we reconcile law and morality? - What defines a 'right' to do wrong? A Different Perspective Complexities of cultural relativism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ## Related quotes > [ He \[Stephen Douglas\] is blowing out the moral lights around us, when he contends that whoever wants slaves has a right to hold them;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/he-stephen-douglas-is-blowing-out-the-moral-lights-around-us-when-he/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Now what is Judge Douglas Popular Sovereignty? 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