--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best man, then, must legislate, and…" description: "\"“The best man, then, must legislate, and laws must be passed, but these laws will have no authority when they miss the mark, though in all other cases ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e37/aristotle-78_assembly_the-best-man-then-must-legislate-and-law_2267223.png" --- # The best man, then, must legislate, and laws must be… ![“The best man, then, must legislate, and laws must be passed, but these laws will have no authority when they miss the mark, though in all other cases retaining their authority. But when the law cannot determine a point at all, or not well, should the one best man or should all decide? According to…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e37/aristotle-78_assembly_the-best-man-then-must-legislate-and-law_2267223.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e37/aristotle-78_assembly_the-best-man-then-must-legislate-and-law_2267223.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e37/aristotle-78_assembly_the-best-man-then-must-legislate-and-law_2267223.png) > ““The best man, then, must legislate, and laws must be passed, but these laws will have no authority when they miss the mark, though in all other cases retaining their authority. But when the law cannot determine a point at all, or not well, should the one best man or should all decide? According to our present practice assemblies meet, sit in judgment, deliberate, and decide, and their judgments an relate to individual cases. Now any member of the assembly, taken separately, is certainly inferior to the wise man. But the state is made up of many individuals. And as a feast to which all the guests contribute is better than a banquet furnished by a single man, so a multitude is a better judge of many things than any individual.”” [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Collective decision‑making outperforms single authority when complex judgments are required, though individual expertise still matters. **In simple terms:** Groups decide better than one person for many issues. Key Takeaway Rely on diverse input for complex decisions. Themes governance collective wisdom decision making authority individual vs group Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legislative bodies - judicial panels - corporate boards - community councils Key Concepts political theory deliberative democracy wisdom of crowds Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance expertise with collective input? - When should a single expert override the group? A Different Perspective Individual expertise may be ignored in large groups. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assembly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assembly/) [Best man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) [Decide According](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide-according-3495923/) [Laws Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-authority-2308029/) [Man Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-decide-506895/) [Man Legislate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-legislate-5240445/) [Single man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-man/) [Sit Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sit-judgment-1296167/) [Wise man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-man/) ## Related quotes > [Independence means you decide according to the law and the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/independence-means-you-decide-according-to-the-law-and-the-facts/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [That all power of suspending laws, or the execution of laws, by any authority, without consent of the representatives of the people, is injurious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/that-all-power-of-suspending-laws-or-the-execution-of-laws-by-any/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [“If, then, there is some end of the things we do, which we desire for its own sake (everything else being desired for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/if-then-there-is-some-end-of-the-things-we-do-which-we-desire-for-its-2/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“My mother, my father, and the rest of the world have done the best they can with what they have had. To sit in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glynn-brown-marlayna/my-mother-my-father-and-the-rest-of-the-world-have-done-the-best-they/) [Glynn Brown, Marlayna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glynn-brown-marlayna/) > [Nobody has the right to sit in judgment and decide what's good or bad for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/nobody-has-the-right-to-sit-in-judgment-and-decide-what-s-good-or-bad/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [In the managerial organization, the top people sit in judgment; in the innovative organization it is their job to encourage ideas, no matter how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/in-the-managerial-organization-the-top-people-sit-in-judgment-in-the/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [To sit in judgment of those things which you perceive to be wrong or imperfect is to be one more person who is part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/to-sit-in-judgment-of-those-things-which-you-perceive-to-be-wrong-or/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [You must first of all think justly. Don’t sit in judgment over others when you don’t know the truth of the matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramoedya-ananta-toer/you-must-first-of-all-think-justly-don-t-sit-in-judgment-over-others/) [Pramoedya Ananta Toer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramoedya-ananta-toer/) > [It isn't safe to sit in judgment upon another person's illusion when you are not on the inside. While you are thinking it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-isn-t-safe-to-sit-in-judgment-upon-another-person-s-illusion-when/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It is only on the basis of the probable and the apparent that men bereft of a sixth sense are able to sit in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petrus-borel/it-is-only-on-the-basis-of-the-probable-and-the-apparent-that-men/) [Petrus Borel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petrus-borel/) > [I tell you, I would never sit in judgment of anyone as long as they're good folks. I would never judge their life, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kraft/i-tell-you-i-would-never-sit-in-judgment-of-anyone-as-long-as-they-re/) [Robert Kraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kraft/) > [As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, to sit in judgment upon our character and conduct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/as-we-search-the-scriptures-we-must-allow-them-to-search-us-to-sit-in/) [Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/) > [If you sit in judgment, investigate, if you sit in supreme power, sit in command.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/if-you-sit-in-judgment-investigate-if-you-sit-in-supreme-power-sit-in/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“No nation is fit to sit in judgment upon any other nation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/no-nation-is-fit-to-sit-in-judgment-upon-any-other-nation/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [“What are gods for if not to sit in judgment over men? The Many-Faced God does not weigh men’s souls, however. He gives his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-are-gods-for-if-not-to-sit-in-judgment-over-men-the-many-faced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Aristotle > [The knowledge of the soul admittedly contributes greatly to the advance of truth in general, and, above all, to our understanding of Nature, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-knowledge-of-the-soul-admittedly-contributes-greatly-to-the/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The body is at its best between the ages of thirty and thirty-five; the mind is at its best about the age of forty-nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-body-is-at-its-best-between-the-ages-of-thirty-and-thirty-five/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The ensouled is distinguished from the unsouled by its being alive. Now since being alive is spoken of in many ways, even if only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-ensouled-is-distinguished-from-the-unsouled-by-its-being-alive/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Although it may be difficult in theory to know what is just and equal, the practical difficulty of inducing those to forbear who can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/although-it-may-be-difficult-in-theory-to-know-what-is-just-and-equal/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-true-forms-of-government-therefore-are-those-in-which-the-one-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [All men by nature desire to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-men-by-nature-desire-to-know/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [All persons ought to endeavor to follow what is right, and not what is established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-persons-ought-to-endeavor-to-follow-what-is-right-and-not-what-is/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Give a man a poisoned fish, you feed him for the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/give-a-man-a-fish-you-feed-him-for-a-day-give-a-man-a-poisoned-fish/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The man who confers a favour would rather not be repaid in the same coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-man-who-confers-a-favour-would-rather-not-be-repaid-in-the-same/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The mother of revolution and crime is poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-mother-of-revolution-and-crime-is-poverty/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Obstinate people can be divided into the opinionated, the ignorant, and the boorish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/obstinate-people-can-be-divided-into-the-opinionated-the-ignorant-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/happiness-does-not-consist-in-pastimes-and-amusements-but-in-virtuous/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [To learn is a natural pleasure, not confined to philosophers, but common to all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/to-learn-is-a-natural-pleasure-not-confined-to-philosophers-but/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Every virtue is a mean between two extremes, each of which is a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/every-virtue-is-a-mean-between-two-extremes-each-of-which-is-a-vice/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Explore all 1,545 Aristotle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## More Assembly quotes > [We can see nothing whatever of the soul unless it is visible in the expression of the countenance; one might call the faces at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/we-can-see-nothing-whatever-of-the-soul-unless-it-is-visible-in-the/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [ Mac \[Barnett\] and I prank each other during our presentation. We show baby pictures of each other looking completely ridiculous. I can't believe the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jory-john/mac-barnett-and-i-prank-each-other-during-our-presentation-we-show/) [Jory John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jory-john/) > [She went from opera, park, assembly, play, To morning walks, and prayers three hours a day. To part her time 'twixt reading and bohea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/she-went-from-opera-park-assembly-play-to-morning-walks-and-prayers/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Club: An assembly of good fellows, meeting under certain conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/club-an-assembly-of-good-fellows-meeting-under-certain-conditions/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Yet if anyone cares to read over the now crumbling minutes giving an account of the meetings at which the Italian Fasci di Combattimento…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/yet-if-anyone-cares-to-read-over-the-now-crumbling-minutes-giving-an/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/to-that-world-assembly-of-sovereign-states-the-united-nations-our/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“Liberalism is a creation of the seventeenth century, fathered by British philosopher John Locke (1632–1704). For Locke, liberalism means limited government, the rule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/liberalism-is-a-creation-of-the-seventeenth-century-fathered-by/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [Well I'm not dancing," Will said through gritted teeth. "I don't know how." Oh yes you are," Alyss told him. "Let's hope you're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/well-i-m-not-dancing-will-said-through-gritted-teeth-i-don-t-know-how/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [For you deal here above all with human life, and human life is sacred; no one may dare make an attempt upon it. Respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-paul-vi/for-you-deal-here-above-all-with-human-life-and-human-life-is-sacred/) [Pope Paul VI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-paul-vi/) > [I was a star campaigner for the Aruvikkara byelection and the assembly elections. They were very valuable experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-a-star-campaigner-for-the-aruvikkara-byelection-and-the/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [One cannot walk through an assembly factory and not feel that one is in Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/one-cannot-walk-through-an-assembly-factory-and-not-feel-that-one-is/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [If you wait for a perfect church, you must wait until you get to heaven; and even if you could find a perfect assembly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/if-you-wait-for-a-perfect-church-you-must-wait-until-you-get-to/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [No harm will come to me. The Assembly is prepared to treat us leniently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoinette/no-harm-will-come-to-me-the-assembly-is-prepared-to-treat-us-leniently/) [Marie Antoinette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoinette/) > [Every year, the United Nations General Assembly votes on a resolution entitled 'Peaceful resolution of the Palestine conflict.' Every year, the vote is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/every-year-the-united-nations-general-assembly-votes-on-a-resolution/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) [Browse all 409 Assembly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assembly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The best man, then, must legislate, and laws must be passed, but these laws will have no authority when they miss the mark, though in all other cases retaining their authority. But when the law cannot determine a point at all, or not well, should the one best man or should all decide? According to our present practice assemblies meet, sit in judgment, deliberate, and decide, and their judgments an relate to individual cases. Now any member of the assembly, taken separately, is certainly inferior to the wise man. But the state is made up of many individuals. 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