Justice Quote by Frédéric Bastiat
““The law is the organization of the natural right of lawful defence; it is the substitution of collective for individual forces, for the purpose of acting in the sphere in which they have a right to act, of doing what they have a right to do, to secure persons, liberties, and properties, and to maintain each in its right, so as to cause justice to reign over all. And if a people established upon this basis were to exist, it seems to me that order would prevail among them in their acts as well as in their ideas. It seems to me that such a people would have the most simple, the most economical, the least oppressive, the least to be felt, the least responsible, the most just, and, consequently, the most solid Government which could be imagined, whatever its political form might be. For,””
About This Quote
Describes law as collective defense replacing individual force, yielding a just, minimal, and stable government.
In simple terms: Law is collective defense for rights.
Key Takeaway
Support strong, limited law.
Themes
law
justice
government
rights
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- policy drafting
- constitutional design
- civil rights advocacy
Key Concepts
social contract
collective security
Questions to Reflect On
- What limits does collective law have?
- How to balance individual liberty?
A Different Perspective
May oversimplify complex governance.
![“This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day [as a Fairfax Justice of the Peace] since I have been at Home. I wish I knew where to get a good one myself; for I find cold Sheets extreamly disagreeable.” quote by George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b92/george-mason-8435_bedfellows_this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young_3953.jpg)
