--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ultimate touchstone of…" description: "\"The ultimate touchstone of constitutionality is the Constitution itself and not what we have said about it.\" — Felix Frankfurter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc2/felix-frankfurter-7424_constitution_the-ultimate-touchstone-of-constitutiona_1956773.png" --- # The ultimate touchstone of constitutionality is the… ![“The ultimate touchstone of constitutionality is the Constitution itself and not what we have said about it.” quote by Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc2/felix-frankfurter-7424_constitution_the-ultimate-touchstone-of-constitutiona_1956773.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc2/felix-frankfurter-7424_constitution_the-ultimate-touchstone-of-constitutiona_1956773.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc2/felix-frankfurter-7424_constitution_the-ultimate-touchstone-of-constitutiona_1956773.png) > “The ultimate touchstone of constitutionality is the Constitution itself and not what we have said about it.” [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Constitution is the ultimate authority on its own meaning, not judicial interpretation or commentary. **In simple terms:** The Constitution itself decides its constitutionality. Key Takeaway Look to the text, not opinions. Themes law constitutionality judicial review Mood analytical serious Type legal authoritative When to use this quote - court decisions - legislative drafting - academic debate - constitutional amendment Key Concepts originalism legal authority Questions to Reflect On - How do we ensure interpretations stay true to the text? - What role should precedent play? A Different Perspective Interpretations can be biased by personal or political views. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Constitution Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution-said-978820/) [Constitutionality Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutionality-constitution-3207738/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Touchstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touchstone/) [Touchstone Constitutionality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touchstone-constitutionality-3207737/) [Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate/) [Ultimate Touchstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate-touchstone-3207739/) ## Related quotes > [The ultimate touchstone of friendship is not improvement, neither of the other nor of the self: the ultimate touchstone is witness, the privilege of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/the-ultimate-touchstone-of-friendship-is-not-improvement-neither-of/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) > [The Constitution is said to have beautiful features; but when I come to examine these features, Sir, they appear to me horribly frightful. 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And every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-t-conway-iii/america-promised-equality-its-constitution-said-so-my-schoolbooks/) [George T. Conway III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-t-conway-iii/) > [Calamity is man's true touchstone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-fletcher/calamity-is-man-s-true-touchstone/) [John William Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-fletcher/) > [A renewed commitment to the freedom and opportunity of our people is the touchstone of our time. In this new century, where tests are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-owens/a-renewed-commitment-to-the-freedom-and-opportunity-of-our-people-is/) [Bill Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-owens/) ## More by Felix Frankfurter > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [It is important not to give the appearance of a predisposed mind. And it is more important not to let the mind become predisposed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/it-is-important-not-to-give-the-appearance-of-a-predisposed-mind-and/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [In the first place, lawyers better remember they are human beings, and a human being who hasn't his periods of doubts and distresses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/in-the-first-place-lawyers-better-remember-they-are-human-beings-and/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The State insists that, by thus quarantining the general reading public against books not too rugged for grown men and women in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/the-state-insists-that-by-thus-quarantining-the-general-reading/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [A court which yields to the popular will thereby licenses itself to practice despotism, for there can be no assurance that it will not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/a-court-which-yields-to-the-popular-will-thereby-licenses-itself-to/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [It would be a narrow conception of jurisprudence to confine the notion of 'laws' to what is found written on the statute books, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/it-would-be-a-narrow-conception-of-jurisprudence-to-confine-the/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [What becomes decisive to a Justice's functioning on the Court in the large area within which his individuality moves is his general attitude toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/what-becomes-decisive-to-a-justice-s-functioning-on-the-court-in-the/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [We forget that the most successful statesmen have been professionals. Lincoln was a professional politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/we-forget-that-the-most-successful-statesmen-have-been-professionals/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [Anybody can decide a question if only a single principle is in controversy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/anybody-can-decide-a-question-if-only-a-single-principle-is-in/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The Procrustean bed is not a symbol of equality. 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