--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The existence of law is one thing; its…" description: "\"The existence of law is one thing; its merit or demerit is another.\" — John Austin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/john-austin-104682_existence_the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-me_3219533.jpg" --- # The existence of law is one thing; its merit or demerit is… ![“The existence of law is one thing; its merit or demerit is another.” quote by John Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/john-austin-104682_existence_the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-me_3219533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/john-austin-104682_existence_the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-me_3219533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/john-austin-104682_existence_the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-me_3219533.jpg) > “The existence of law is one thing; its merit or demerit is another.” [John Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-austin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Law exists, but its moral value depends on its application. **In simple terms:** Law’s merit varies with use. Key Takeaway Evaluate law’s ethical impact. Themes law ethics justice philosophy society Mood analytical critical Type Existence:1 Law:1 Laws:1 Life:0 Law Thing:0 Merit Demerit:0 Existence Law:0 Thing Merit:0 When to use this quote - legislative drafting - court rulings - public debate - academic study Key Concepts legal theory moral philosophy policy analysis Questions to Reflect On - How to reform unjust laws? A Different Perspective Is law inherently good? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Existence Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-law-2416358/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-thing-561552/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Merit Demerit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merit-demerit-1062429/) [Thing Merit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-merit-6046502/) ## Related quotes > [“The law was made for one thing alone,for the exploitation of those who don't understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from obeying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/the-law-was-made-for-one-thing-alone-for-the-exploitation-of-those/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“Two things fill the mind with every new and increasing wonder and awe, the oftener and the more steadily I reflect upon them: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-fill-the-mind-with-every-new-and-increasing-wonder-and-awe/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [It is convention and arbitrary rewards which make all the merit and demerit of what we call vice and virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-offray-de-la-mettrie/it-is-convention-and-arbitrary-rewards-which-make-all-the-merit-and/) [Julien Offray de La Mettrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-offray-de-la-mettrie/) > [Our impartiality is kept for abstract merit and demerit, which none of us ever saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/our-impartiality-is-kept-for-abstract-merit-and-demerit-which-none-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [It is a universal condition of the enjoyable that the mind must believe in the existence of a law, and yet have a mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clerk-maxwell/it-is-a-universal-condition-of-the-enjoyable-that-the-mind-must/) [James Clerk Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clerk-maxwell/) > [The law was made for one thing alone, for the exploitation of those who don't understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/the-law-was-made-for-one-thing-alone-for-the-exploitation-of-those-2/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [There are two laws discreteNot reconciled,Law for man, and law for thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-are-two-laws-discretenot-reconciled-law-for-man-and-law-for/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Law is a thing which is insensible, and inexorable, more beneficial and more profitious to the weak than to the strong; it admits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livy/law-is-a-thing-which-is-insensible-and-inexorable-more-beneficial-and/) [Livy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livy/) > [Under what law each thing was created, and how necessary it is for it to continue under this, and how it cannot annul the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/under-what-law-each-thing-was-created-and-how-necessary-it-is-for-it/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [ I went right to Chicago to do improv \[after law school\], but I wish I had gone, "Let me just bypass this law thing."… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-fulcher/i-went-right-to-chicago-to-do-improv-after-law-school-but-i-wish-i/) [Rich Fulcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-fulcher/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [The function of the law is not to provide justice or to preserve freedom. The function of the law is to keep those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/the-function-of-the-law-is-not-to-provide-justice-or-to-preserve/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The law is like apparel, which alters with the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dodderidge/the-law-is-like-apparel-which-alters-with-the-time/) [John Dodderidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dodderidge/) ## More by John Austin > [Words are not (except in theirown little corner) facts or things;we need therefore to prise them off the world, to hold them apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-austin/words-are-not-except-in-theirown-little-corner-facts-or-things-we/) [John Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-austin/) [Explore all 2 John Austin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-austin/) ## More Existence quotes > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Browse all 7,646 Existence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The existence of law is one thing; its merit or demerit is another.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Austin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-austin/the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-merit-or-demerit-is-another/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Existence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-austin/the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-merit-or-demerit-is-another/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/john-austin-104682_existence_the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-me_3219533.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/john-austin-104682_existence_the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-me_3219533.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/john-austin-104682_existence_the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-me_3219533.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The existence of law is one thing; its merit or demerit is another.” — John Austin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Austin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-austin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The existence of law is one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-austin/the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-merit-or-demerit-is-another/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-austin/the-existence-of-law-is-one-thing-its-merit-or-demerit-is-another/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```