Authority Quote by Algernon Sidney
“Nay, all laws must fall, human societies that subsist by them be dissolved, and all innocent persons be exposed to the violence of the most wicked, if men might not justly defend themselves against injustice by their own natural right, when the ways prescribed by publick authority cannot be taken.”
About This Quote
Source Treat: Discourses Concerning Government, 1689
When legal systems fail to protect justice, people have a natural right to defend themselves, even if it means exposing innocent people to the worst evil.
In simple terms: People may need to act against unjust laws.
Key Takeaway
Know when lawful means are insufficient.
Themes
justice
rights
civil disobedience
Mood
defiant
serious
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political protest
- self‑defense
- civil rights movements
- whistleblowing
Key Concepts
natural law
social contract
Questions to Reflect On
- Is violent resistance ever justified?
- How can non‑violent alternatives be strengthened?
A Different Perspective
Such actions can harm innocents and destabilize society.
![“[A]ll popular and well-mixed governments [republics] . . . are ever established by wise and good men, and can never be upheld otherwise than by virtue: The worst men always conspiring against them, they must fall, if the best have not power to preserve them. . . . [and] unless they be preserved in…” quote by Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1c1/algernon-sidney-20606_conspiring_a-ll-popular-and-well-mixed-governments_696129.jpg)
![“[L]iberty cannot be preserved, if the manners of the people are corrupted . . .” quote by Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/65d/algernon-sidney-20606_freedom_l-iberty-cannot-be-preserved-if-the-mann_1577380.jpg)
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)