--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Since natural law was thought to be…" description: "\"Since natural law was thought to be accessible to the ordinary man, the theory invited each juror to inquire for himself whether a particular rule of l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80c/john-adams-529_absurdity_since-natural-law-was-thought-to-be-acce_1896855.jpg" --- # Since natural law was thought to be accessible to the… ![“Since natural law was thought to be accessible to the ordinary man, the theory invited each juror to inquire for himself whether a particular rule of law was consonant with principles of higher law. This view is reflected in John Adams' statement that it would be an 'absurdity' for jurors to be…” quote by John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80c/john-adams-529_absurdity_since-natural-law-was-thought-to-be-acce_1896855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80c/john-adams-529_absurdity_since-natural-law-was-thought-to-be-acce_1896855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80c/john-adams-529_absurdity_since-natural-law-was-thought-to-be-acce_1896855.jpg) > “Since natural law was thought to be accessible to the ordinary man, the theory invited each juror to inquire for himself whether a particular rule of law was consonant with principles of higher law. This view is reflected in John Adams' statement that it would be an 'absurdity' for jurors to be required to accept the judge's view of the law, 'against their own opinion, judgment, and conscience.'” [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jurors should judge law against higher moral principles, not merely accept judges' opinions. **In simple terms:** Think for yourself about law’s morality. Key Takeaway Apply personal conscience when interpreting law. Themes justice conscience jurisprudence Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - courtrooms - citizen juries - legal education Key Concepts natural law individual judgment Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile personal morals with legal duty? - When should jurors override a judge? A Different Perspective Balancing personal bias with impartial law is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurdity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdity/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Consonants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consonants/) [Higher law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-law/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Jurors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jurors/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Natural law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-law/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Ordinary man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-man/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Rule of law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-of-law/) ## Related quotes > [It would be an absurdity for jurors to be required to accept the judge's view of the law, against their own opinion, judgment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/it-would-be-an-absurdity-for-jurors-to-be-required-to-accept-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I can and do aspire to be greater than the sum total of my experiences, but I accept my limitations. I willingly accept that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/i-can-and-do-aspire-to-be-greater-than-the-sum-total-of-my/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I never really thought I would practice law because I always thought it was too slow-moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-travis/i-never-really-thought-i-would-practice-law-because-i-always-thought/) [Clay Travis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-travis/) > [“The visitor shrugged. "Like euthanasia? I'm sorry, Father, I feel that the laws of a society are what make something a crime or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr/the-visitor-shrugged-like-euthanasia-i-m-sorry-father-i-feel-that-the/) [Walter M. Miller Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr/) > [The concept of absolute, hence (or whence) springs, in the moral field, the moral laws or norms, represent, in the field of knowledge, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/african-spir/the-concept-of-absolute-hence-or-whence-springs-in-the-moral-field/) [African Spir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/african-spir/) > [“This was law? she thought. 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Seward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-seward/) > [Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boethius/who-would-give-a-law-to-lovers-love-is-unto-itself-a-higher-law/) [Boethius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boethius/) > [Going around this country, I have found a great hunger in America for spiritual revival; for a belief that law must be based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/going-around-this-country-i-have-found-a-great-hunger-in-america-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is a higher law than the law of government. That's the law of conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stokely-carmichael/there-is-a-higher-law-than-the-law-of-government-that-s-the-law-of/) [Stokely Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stokely-carmichael/) > [Love is the higher law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/love-is-the-higher-law/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Morality is always higher than law and we cannot forget this ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/morality-is-always-higher-than-law-and-we-cannot-forget-this-ever/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“I may wish to return to my home in England, and I stand in New York, but ever since I was born I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-ian-thomas/i-may-wish-to-return-to-my-home-in-england-and-i-stand-in-new-york/) [W. Ian Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-ian-thomas/) ## More by John Adams > [Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/historically-usury-was-defined-as-any-interest-whatever-on-an/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“Daughter! Get you an honest Man for a Husband, and keep him honest. No matter whether he is rich, provided he be independent. Regard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/daughter-get-you-an-honest-man-for-a-husband-and-keep-him-honest-no/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-general-principles-on-which-the-fathers-achieved-independence/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. 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But upon the stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/upon-common-theaters-indeed-the-applause-of-the-audience-is-of-more/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [There are only two creatures of value on the face of the earth: those with the commitment, and those who require the commitment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/there-are-only-two-creatures-of-value-on-the-face-of-the-earth-those/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [ I will insist the Hebrews have \[contributed\] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-will-insist-the-hebrews-have-contributed-more-to-civilize-men-than/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/government-is-instituted-for-the-common-good-for-the-protection/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Make Things rather than Persons the subjects of conversations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/make-things-rather-than-persons-the-subjects-of-conversations/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [During the whole time I sat with him in Congress, I never heard him utter three sentences together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/during-the-whole-time-i-sat-with-him-in-congress-i-never-heard-him/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all government and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/religion-and-virtue-are-the-only-foundations-not-of-republicanism-and/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The universal object and idol of men of letters is reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-universal-object-and-idol-of-men-of-letters-is-reputation/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I consider a decent respect for Christianity among the best recommendations for public service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-consider-a-decent-respect-for-christianity-among-the-best/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) [Explore all 495 John Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) ## More Absurdity quotes > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Such squeamish youths as cannot bear to be connected with a little absurdity are not worth a regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/such-squeamish-youths-as-cannot-bear-to-be-connected-with-a-little/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Thought of the incomprehensible sequence of changes and chances that make up a life, all the beauties and horrors and absurdities whose conjunctions create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/thought-of-the-incomprehensible-sequence-of-changes-and-chances-that/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [We all live inside the terrible engine of authority, and it grinds and shrieks and burns so that no one will say: lines on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/we-all-live-inside-the-terrible-engine-of-authority-and-it-grinds-and/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Desire is this absurdity that holds open the infinity of possibility. Ever optimistic, ever resourceful, desire tells us what it sees as it speeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-farley/desire-is-this-absurdity-that-holds-open-the-infinity-of-possibility/) Wendy Farley > [I've always felt that comedy doesn't just come from misery. It comes from an absurdity around that misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-amstell/i-ve-always-felt-that-comedy-doesn-t-just-come-from-misery-it-comes/) [Simon Amstell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-amstell/) > [Unaware of the absurdity of it, we introduce our own petty household rules into the economy of the universe for which the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/unaware-of-the-absurdity-of-it-we-introduce-our-own-petty-household/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [“Christianity would be helpless without the idea of free will and the idea of free will would be helpless without incongruity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/christianity-would-be-helpless-without-the-idea-of-free-will-and-the/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. 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