--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The law has been perverted, and the…" description: "\"The law has been perverted, and the powers of the state have become perverted along with it. The law has not only been turned from its proper function,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/frederic-bastiat-2151_abuse_the-law-has-been-perverted-and-the-power_2700518.png" --- # The law has been perverted, and the powers of the state… ![“The law has been perverted, and the powers of the state have become perverted along with it. The law has not only been turned from its proper function, but made to follow an entirely contrary purpose. The law has become a tool for every kind of greed. Instead of preventing crime, the law itself is…” quote by Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/frederic-bastiat-2151_abuse_the-law-has-been-perverted-and-the-power_2700518.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/frederic-bastiat-2151_abuse_the-law-has-been-perverted-and-the-power_2700518.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/frederic-bastiat-2151_abuse_the-law-has-been-perverted-and-the-power_2700518.png) > “The law has been perverted, and the powers of the state have become perverted along with it. The law has not only been turned from its proper function, but made to follow an entirely contrary purpose. The law has become a tool for every kind of greed. Instead of preventing crime, the law itself is guilty of the abuses it is supposed to punish. If this is true, it is a serious matter, and moral duty requires me to call the attention of my fellow-citizens to it.” [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When law is twisted to serve selfish interests, it becomes a weapon of greed rather than a shield against wrongdoing. **In simple terms:** Law can become corrupt and enable crime. Key Takeaway Guard institutions against misuse. Themes justice corruption morality Mood concerned critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy reform - citizen activism - legal education Key Concepts rule of law ethical governance state power Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens hold power accountable? - What safeguards prevent legal perversion? A Different Perspective Law alone cannot fix systemic abuse without cultural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Contrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Fellows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellows/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Perverted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-perverted-348156/) [Law Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-turned-2728973/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-duty/) [Perverted Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perverted-law-2728972/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Preventing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preventing/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Purpose Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-law-2079934/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [State Perverted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-perverted-2728974/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) ## Related quotes > [“The law perverted! The law — and, in its wake, all the collective forces of the nation — the law, I say, not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-perverted-the-law-and-in-its-wake-all-the-collective-forces/) [Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The law has been perverted through the influence of two very different causes-naked greed and misconceived philanthropy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-has-been-perverted-through-the-influence-of-two-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [It is within the last quarter century or thirty years. And a lot of that law has turned out to be very, very protective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/it-is-within-the-last-quarter-century-or-thirty-years-and-a-lot-of/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [...the statement, "The purpose of the law is to cause justice to reign," is not a rigorously accurate statement. It ought to be stated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-statement-the-purpose-of-the-law-is-to-cause-justice-to-reign-is/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“The law has been perverted through the influence of two very different causes—bare egotism and false philanthropy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-has-been-perverted-through-the-influence-of-two-very-2/) [Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [When the rule of law is being perverted to the rule of the 'good intentions' of unelected judges, it is time for serious study…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-tancredo/when-the-rule-of-law-is-being-perverted-to-the-rule-of-the-good/) [Tom Tancredo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-tancredo/) > [The purpose of law is to prevent the strong always having their way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/the-purpose-of-law-is-to-prevent-the-strong-always-having-their-way/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Leniency and mercy. Men set free despite crimes, because they were good fathers, or well liked in the community, or in the favor of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/leniency-and-mercy-men-set-free-despite-crimes-because-they-were-good/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [The purpose of the law is not to prevent a future offense, but to punish the one actually committed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-purpose-of-the-law-is-not-to-prevent-a-future-offense-but-to/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“The other members of the legal fraternity especially the court officers/lawyers should be encouraged to aid in interpretation of statutes by handing down suggestions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrietta-newton-martin/the-other-members-of-the-legal-fraternity-especially-the-court/) [Henrietta Newton Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrietta-newton-martin/) > [“Interpretation of laws and it's right application in its true spirit is the bedrock of any judicial mechanism and a legal system..There is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrietta-newton-martin/interpretation-of-laws-and-it-s-right-application-in-its-true-spirit/) [Henrietta Newton Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrietta-newton-martin/) > [“If you misunderstand the purpose of the X-ray as to say the X-ray is the doctor, You will not be healed.In the same way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-nyarangi-akoya/if-you-misunderstand-the-purpose-of-the-x-ray-as-to-say-the-x-ray-is/) [JOEL NYARANGI AKOYA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-nyarangi-akoya/) > [Most of the Ten Commandments are negative. The purpose of law is not to mandate good behavior. That concept comes from the French Revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/most-of-the-ten-commandments-are-negative-the-purpose-of-law-is-not/) [Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/) > [For my part, let me be clear: protecting those in society most at risk of harm, those crushed at the bottom of the heap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/for-my-part-let-me-be-clear-protecting-those-in-society-most-at-risk/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) ## More by Frederic Bastiat > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. 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Sometimes the law places the whole apparatus of judges, police, prisons and gendarmes at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/sometimes-the-law-defends-plunder-and-participates-in-it-sometimes/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Slavery, protection, and monopoly find defenders, not only in those who profit by them, but in those who suffer by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/slavery-protection-and-monopoly-find-defenders-not-only-in-those-who/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Often the masses are plundered and do not know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/often-the-masses-are-plundered-and-do-not-know-it/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our times. It is not considered sufficient that the law should guarantee to every citizen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/here-i-encounter-the-most-popular-fallacy-of-our-times-it-is-not/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The state is the great fictitious entity by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-state-is-the-great-fictitious-entity-by-which-everyone-seeks-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [There is in all of a strong disposition to believe that anything lawful is also legitimate. This belief is so widespread that many persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/there-is-in-all-of-a-strong-disposition-to-believe-that-anything/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [I believe that my theory is correct; for whatever be the question upon which I am arguing, whether it be religious, philosophical, political, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/i-believe-that-my-theory-is-correct-for-whatever-be-the-question-upon/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The balance of trade is an article of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-balance-of-trade-is-an-article-of-faith/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [There are people who think that plunder loses all its immorality as soon as it becomes legal. 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The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. 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They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The law has been perverted, and the powers of the state have become perverted along with it. The law has not only been turned from its proper function, but made to follow an entirely contrary purpose. The law has become a tool for every kind of greed. 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