Difficulty Quote by Aristotle
“Laws, when good, should be supreme; and that the magistrate or magistrates should regulate those matters only on which the laws are unable to speak with precision owing to the difficulty of any general principle embracing all particulars.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Politics, Book III, circa 350 BC
Law should be supreme, but magistrates must intervene only where laws lack precise guidance due to complex, universal principles.
In simple terms: Laws dominate, but judges step in when laws are vague.
Key Takeaway
Ensure laws are clear; use judges for ambiguous cases.
Themes
law
governance
justice
philosophy
authority
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
formal
Type
philosophical
theoretical
instructional
When to use this quote
- legislative drafting
- court decisions
- policy making
- ethical deliberation
Key Concepts
legal theory
jurisprudence
principles
exception handling
Questions to Reflect On
- When should judges override unclear statutes?
- How to balance legal certainty with moral nuance?
A Different Perspective
Rigid laws may stifle flexibility; judges can be biased.
