--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Active and passive resistance against the…" description: "\"“Active and passive resistance against the usurper is not only a right, but a duty for all citizens. For the usurper is an invader and his lawless powe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/heinrich-a-rommen-71857_common-good_active-and-passive-resistance-against-th_451307.jpg" --- # Active and passive resistance against the usurper is not… ![“Active and passive resistance against the usurper is not only a right, but a duty for all citizens. For the usurper is an invader and his lawless power is violence, not authority; should he by terrorism and duress force the people to consent externally to his rule, such a legitimation is invalid…” quote by Heinrich A. Rommen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/heinrich-a-rommen-71857_common-good_active-and-passive-resistance-against-th_451307.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/heinrich-a-rommen-71857_common-good_active-and-passive-resistance-against-th_451307.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/heinrich-a-rommen-71857_common-good_active-and-passive-resistance-against-th_451307.jpg) > ““Active and passive resistance against the usurper is not only a right, but a duty for all citizens. For the usurper is an invader and his lawless power is violence, not authority; should he by terrorism and duress force the people to consent externally to his rule, such a legitimation is invalid. His laws are not laws, but iniquities. The usurper is a foe of the respublica, and every one who acts against him acts in defense of the body politic. But what about the “tyrannus secundum regimen tantum”, that is, the legal authority that becomes illegitimate through a grave violation of the common good? First of all, the people has a right to passive resistance. The tyrannical law that is a law against reason, a law not directed to a common good, is not true law, but a depravity of law. Consequently it does not bind in conscience. This passive resistance becomes a duty when the tyrannical law demands something that is against the divine good (“bonum divinum”). A typical case would be a law to compel blasphemous adoration of the ruler as a quasi-divine being.”” Heinrich A. Rommen ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that citizens must resist unjust rulers, especially when laws become immoral, making passive resistance a moral duty. **In simple terms:** Unjust laws demand moral resistance. Key Takeaway Stand against laws that violate common good. Themes justice law resistance morality citizen duty Mood serious defiant Type political ethical When to use this quote - authoritarian regimes - unjust legislation - public protests - legal challenges Key Concepts political philosophy ethics civil disobedience Questions to Reflect On - When is passive resistance insufficient? - How do you balance lawfulness with morality? A Different Perspective Passive resistance may be ineffective without collective action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-good/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) ## Related quotes > [“First of all, the people has a right to passive resistance. The tyrannical law that is a law against reason, a law not directed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-a-rommen/first-of-all-the-people-has-a-right-to-passive-resistance-the/) Heinrich A. 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