Absolute power Quote by Frederic Bastiat
“It is not true that the legislator has absolute power over our persons and property, since they pre-exist, and his work is only to secure them from injury. It is not true that the mission of the law is to regulate our consciences, our ideas, our will, our education, our sentiments, our works, our exchanges, our gifts, our enjoyments. Its mission is to prevent the rights of one from interfering with those of another, in any one of these things.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: What Is Property?, 1850
Law's purpose is to protect individual rights from infringement, not to control thoughts or personal choices.
In simple terms: Law protects rights, not thoughts.
Key Takeaway
Defend personal freedoms against overreach.
Themes
law
rights
individualism
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
legal
political
When to use this quote
- public policy debates
- legal reforms
- civil rights activism
- education on civic rights
Key Concepts
property
noninterference
liberty
Questions to Reflect On
- What rights should be absolute?
- When should law intervene to protect others?
A Different Perspective
Balancing protection with preventing harm can be complex.
![“As Israel made the wants of his national existence the law of the world, as under the dominance of these wants he deified even his political vindictiveness; so the Christian made the requirements of human feeling the absolute powers and laws of the world. [T]hat is, indeed, only of man considered…” quote by Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dd1/ludwig-feuerbach-3406_abrahamism_as-israel-made-the-wants-of-his-national_31284.jpg)
