Acting Quote by Frederic Bastiat
“The mission of the law is not to oppress persons and plunder them of their property, even though the law may be acting in a philanthropic spirit. Its purpose is to protect persons and property… If you exceed this proper limit -- if you attempt to make the law religious, fraternal, equalizing, philanthropic, industrial, or artistic -- you will then be lost in uncharted territory, in vagueness and uncertainty, in a forced utopia or, even worse, in a multitude of utopias, each striving to seize the law and impose it on you.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Economic Sophisms, Frederic Bastiat, 1850
Law should protect individuals and property, not impose idealistic or moral agendas that create ambiguity and oppression.
In simple terms: Law protects rights, not moral visions.
Key Takeaway
Limit law to protecting rights.
Themes
law
property
rights
limits
utopia
Mood
cautious
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
political
legal
When to use this quote
- legislative drafting
- judicial review
- civil rights advocacy
- public policy design
Key Concepts
legal theory
property rights
political philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance protection with moral aspirations?
- When does law become oppressive?
A Different Perspective
Law cannot solve all social problems; overreach can cause injustice.
![“The law for religious freedom... [has]put down the aristocracy of the clergy and restored to the citizen the freedom of the mind.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/thomas-jefferson-43_aristocracy_the-law-for-religious-freedom-has-put-do_60865.jpg)
