--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No State shall pass any law impairing the…" description: "\"No State shall pass any law impairing the [natural] obligation of contracts.\" — Lysander Spooner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/lysander-spooner-3260_contracts_no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-th_928137.png" --- # No State shall pass any law impairing the \[natural\]… ![“No State shall pass any law impairing the [natural] obligation of contracts.” quote by Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/lysander-spooner-3260_contracts_no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-th_928137.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/lysander-spooner-3260_contracts_no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-th_928137.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/lysander-spooner-3260_contracts_no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-th_928137.png) > “No State shall pass any law impairing the \[natural\] obligation of contracts.” [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 statement argues that no government should enact laws that hinder the natural duty to honor contracts. **In simple terms:** Governments must not block contract obligations. Key Takeaway Protect contractual rights. Themes law freedom contracts Mood critical thoughtful Type legal political When to use this quote - business agreements - legal reforms - civil rights advocacy Key Concepts natural rights government limits contract law Questions to Reflect On - What defines a “natural” contract? - How can law balance freedom and protection? A Different Perspective Enforcement may be complex in modern economies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) ## Related quotes > [The constitution of the United States declares that "no State shall pass any law impairing the obligation of contracts."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-constitution-of-the-united-states-declares-that-no-state-shall/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Bills of attainder, ex-post facto laws and laws impairing the obligation of contracts are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/bills-of-attainder-ex-post-facto-laws-and-laws-impairing-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Saints are simply men and women who have fulfilled their natural obligation which is to approach God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/saints-are-simply-men-and-women-who-have-fulfilled-their-natural/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [The same ones who brought the children physically in the world have the natural obligation binding in the natural law to provide for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hardon/the-same-ones-who-brought-the-children-physically-in-the-world-have/) John Hardon > [The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-right-of-the-citizens-to-bear-arms-in-defense-of-themselves-and/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [The Union, which can alone insure internal peace, and external security to each State, Must and Shall be Preserved, cost what it may in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-b-mcclellan/the-union-which-can-alone-insure-internal-peace-and-external-security/) [George B. 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Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/if-i-had-the-choice-now-i-d-make-new-jersey-a-state-where-you-can/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [We are the state, and we shall continue to be the state until we have created the institutions that form a real community and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-landauer/we-are-the-state-and-we-shall-continue-to-be-the-state-until-we-have/) [Gustav Landauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustav-landauer/) > [I’m going to pass a law that no one can ask me my golf score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/i-m-going-to-pass-a-law-that-no-one-can-ask-me-my-golf-score/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) ## 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? Individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/who-are-ever-taxed-individuals-only-who-have-property-that-can-be/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [There can be no criminal intent in resisting injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/there-can-be-no-criminal-intent-in-resisting-injustice/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Practically and commercially speaking, a dollar is not necessarily a specific thing, made of silver, or gold, or any other single metal, or substance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/practically-and-commercially-speaking-a-dollar-is-not-necessarily-a/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [If the jury have no right to judge of the justice of a law of the government, they plainly can do nothing to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/if-the-jury-have-no-right-to-judge-of-the-justice-of-a-law-of-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [If it be said that the consent of the strongest party in a nation, is all that is necessary to justify the establishment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/if-it-be-said-that-the-consent-of-the-strongest-party-in-a-nation-is/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [In reality there is no such thing as an inflation of prices, relatively to gold. 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. It has no authority or obligation at all, unless as a contract between man and man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-constitution-has-no-inherent-authority-or-obligation-it-has-no/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [These so-called governments are in reality only great bands of robbers and murderers, organized, disciplined, and constantly on the alert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/these-so-called-governments-are-in-reality-only-great-bands-of/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) [Explore all 135 Lysander Spooner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) ## More Contracts quotes > [So, in the last year, the whole cast sued for release from our contracts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-rettig/so-in-the-last-year-the-whole-cast-sued-for-release-from-our-contracts/) [Tommy Rettig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-rettig/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [It is merely the egoism of the man, who wants to bury a woman like a treasure. All attempts at using vows, contracts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/it-is-merely-the-egoism-of-the-man-who-wants-to-bury-a-woman-like-a/) [Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/) > [Record contracts are just like - I'm gonna say the word, slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/record-contracts-are-just-like-i-m-gonna-say-the-word-slavery/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich, as their country is impoverished; they rejoice, when obstinacy or ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/these-are-the-men-who-without-virtue-labour-or-hazard-are-growing/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nowadays, in the contract that actors sign, you have to agree that you're going to do a certain amount of publicity-the hard part they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/nowadays-in-the-contract-that-actors-sign-you-have-to-agree-that-you/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [24.9 percent of American children live in poverty, while the proportions in Germany, France and Italy are 8.6, 7.4 and 10.5 percent. And once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hutton/24-9-percent-of-american-children-live-in-poverty-while-the/) [Will Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hutton/) > [Columbia tried to put me behind other groups, so I didn't wanna wait, they let me out of the contract and I'm glad they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmx/columbia-tried-to-put-me-behind-other-groups-so-i-didn-t-wanna-wait/) [DMX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmx/) > [I've proposed a contract with the American voter that will give the government back to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-ve-proposed-a-contract-with-the-american-voter-that-will-give-the/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I believe people ought to be treated fairly under the law. I see no reason why if the marriage contract conveys certain things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-believe-people-ought-to-be-treated-fairly-under-the-law-i-see-no/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [We sign contracts to fight, not to dip, duck and dodge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stephens/we-sign-contracts-to-fight-not-to-dip-duck-and-dodge/) [Jeremy Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stephens/) > [The earth itself assures us it is a living entity. Deep below surface one can hear its slow pulse, feel its vibrant rhythm. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-waters/the-earth-itself-assures-us-it-is-a-living-entity-deep-below-surface/) [Frank Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-waters/) > [Society is indeed a contract. It is a partnership in all science; a partnership in all art; a partnership in every virtue, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/society-is-indeed-a-contract-it-is-a-partnership-in-all-science-a/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I don't generate a storyline and then fill it out in the course of writing. The story actually generates in the course of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-don-t-generate-a-storyline-and-then-fill-it-out-in-the-course-of/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [Corporations are created by the people, acting through their governments. We grant them corporate charters that confer certain legal rights and privileges, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mcgovern/corporations-are-created-by-the-people-acting-through-their/) [Jim McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mcgovern/) Browse all 1,004 Contracts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No State shall pass any law impairing the [natural] obligation of contracts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lysander Spooner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-the-natural-obligation-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contracts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-the-natural-obligation-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/lysander-spooner-3260_contracts_no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-th_928137.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/lysander-spooner-3260_contracts_no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-th_928137.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/lysander-spooner-3260_contracts_no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-th_928137.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No State shall pass any law impairing the [natural] obligation of contracts.” — Lysander Spooner", "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": "Lysander Spooner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No State shall pass any law...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-the-natural-obligation-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/no-state-shall-pass-any-law-impairing-the-natural-obligation-of/#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 } } ] } ```