--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No man can delegate,... any right of…" description: "\"No man can delegate,... any right of arbitrary dominion over a 3rd person; for that would imply a right in the 1st person, not only to make the 3rd per..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/lysander-spooner-3260_add_no-man-can-delegate-any-right-of-arbitra_1173085.jpg" --- # No man can delegate,... any right of arbitrary dominion… ![“No man can delegate,... any right of arbitrary dominion over a 3rd person; for that would imply a right in the 1st person, not only to make the 3rd person his slave, but also a right to dispose of him as a slave to still other persons. Any contract to do this is necessarily a criminal one...To…” quote by Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/lysander-spooner-3260_add_no-man-can-delegate-any-right-of-arbitra_1173085.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/lysander-spooner-3260_add_no-man-can-delegate-any-right-of-arbitra_1173085.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/lysander-spooner-3260_add_no-man-can-delegate-any-right-of-arbitra_1173085.jpg) > “No man can delegate,... any right of arbitrary dominion over a 3rd person; for that would imply a right in the 1st person, not only to make the 3rd person his slave, but also a right to dispose of him as a slave to still other persons. Any contract to do this is necessarily a criminal one...To call such a contract a “constitution” does not at all lessen its criminality, or add to its validity.” [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that any contract that gives one person power over another is inherently criminal, regardless of how it is labeled. **In simple terms:** Contracts that enslave are criminal. Key Takeaway Reject such contracts. Themes rights justice slavery law ethics Mood critical serious Type ethical political When to use this quote - legal drafting - human rights advocacy - policy making - education - activism Key Concepts natural rights contract law criminality Questions to Reflect On - Is any agreement that strips another's autonomy ever just? - How do we identify hidden coercion in legal language? A Different Perspective Even if called a constitution, the contract remains illegal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Criminality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminality/) [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Delegates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delegates/) [Dominion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominion/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) ## Related quotes > [And yet we have what purports, or professes, or is claimed, to be a contract—the Constitution—made eighty years ago, by men who are now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/and-yet-we-have-what-purports-or-professes-or-is-claimed-to-be-a/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Our Constitution does not profess to have been established simply by the majority, but by 'the people' - the minority as much as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/our-constitution-does-not-profess-to-have-been-established-simply-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Even beyond policy considerations, Romneycare was a horrible model to suggest for the federal government because the Constitution does not give Congress the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dewine/even-beyond-policy-considerations-romneycare-was-a-horrible-model-to/) [Mike DeWine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dewine/) > [My view is regardless of whether you think prohibiting abortion is good or whether you think prohibiting abortion is bad, regardless of how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/my-view-is-regardless-of-whether-you-think-prohibiting-abortion-is/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [For the power given to Congress by the Constitution does not extend to the internal regulation of the commerce of a State (that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/for-the-power-given-to-congress-by-the-constitution-does-not-extend/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [What all these lofty and vague phrases boil down to is that the court can impose things that the voters don't want and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-all-these-lofty-and-vague-phrases-boil-down-to-is-that-the-court/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I read the Constitution and it does not protect ugly people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-read-the-constitution-and-it-does-not-protect-ugly-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ That very document \[Constitution\] does little to serve people when Supreme Court decisions are written so that even high-priced lawyers can't figure them out. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dewine/that-very-document-constitution-does-little-to-serve-people-when/) [Mike DeWine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dewine/) > [The NRA believes America's laws were made to be obeyed and that our Constitutional liberties are just as important today as 200 years ago.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-nra-believes-america-s-laws-were-made-to-be-obeyed-and-that-our/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The Constitution does not trust judges to make determinations of criminal guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/the-constitution-does-not-trust-judges-to-make-determinations-of/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Where in the Constitution does it say that because we don't like a foreign country's leader, we should go in and topple the dictator?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/where-in-the-constitution-does-it-say-that-because-we-don-t-like-a/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [ The Constitution does not vest in Congress the authority to protect society from every bad act that might befall it…\[I\]f followed to its logical… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-constitution-does-not-vest-in-congress-the-authority-to-protect/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [The Constitution does not require complete separation of church and state; it affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions, and forbids hostility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/the-constitution-does-not-require-complete-separation-of-church-and/) [Warren E. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/) > [The Constitution does not demand that you or I buy anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-conaway/the-constitution-does-not-demand-that-you-or-i-buy-anything/) Mike Conaway > [We hold that the Constitution does not forbid the states minor intrusions into an individual's body under stringently limited conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-hold-that-the-constitution-does-not-forbid-the-states-minor/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Lysander Spooner > [Slavery, if it can be legalized at all, can be legalized only by positive legislation. Natural law gives it no aid. Custom imparts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/slavery-if-it-can-be-legalized-at-all-can-be-legalized-only-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Those who deny the right of a jury to protect an individual in resisting an unjust law of the government, deny him all defence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/those-who-deny-the-right-of-a-jury-to-protect-an-individual-in/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [I was put into jail as I was going to the shoemaker's to get a shoe which was mended. When I was let out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/i-was-put-into-jail-as-i-was-going-to-the-shoemaker-s-to-get-a-shoe/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The single despot stands out in the face of all men, and says: I am the State: My will is law: I am your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-single-despot-stands-out-in-the-face-of-all-men-and-says-i-am-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The Rothschilds, and that class of money-lenders of whom they are the representatives and agents - men who never think of lending a shilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-rothschilds-and-that-class-of-money-lenders-of-whom-they-are-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Who are ever taxed? Individuals only. Who have property that can be taxed? Individuals only. Who can give their consent to be taxed? 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There is such a thing as a depreciated paper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/in-reality-there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-inflation-of-prices/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [And there is no difference, in principle - but only in degree - between political and chattel slavery. The former, no less than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/and-there-is-no-difference-in-principle-but-only-in-degree-between/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The Constitution has no inherent authority or obligation. 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