---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mere toleration of the slave trade…"
description: "\"The mere toleration of the slave trade could not make slavery itself - the right of property in man - lawful any where; not even on board the slave shi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/lysander-spooner-3260_any_the-mere-toleration-of-the-slave-trade-c_1004264.jpg"
---

#  The mere toleration of the slave trade could not make…

![“The mere toleration of the slave trade could not make slavery itself - the right of property in man - lawful any where; not even on board the slave ship. Toleration of a wrong is not law.” quote by Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/lysander-spooner-3260_any_the-mere-toleration-of-the-slave-trade-c_1004264.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/lysander-spooner-3260_any_the-mere-toleration-of-the-slave-trade-c_1004264.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/lysander-spooner-3260_any_the-mere-toleration-of-the-slave-trade-c_1004264.jpg)

> “The mere toleration of the slave trade could not make slavery itself - the right of property in man - lawful any where; not even on board the slave ship. Toleration of a wrong is not law.”

[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.

Accepting slavery as property is illegal; tolerating injustice never makes it lawful.

**In simple terms:** Tolerating injustice does not legalize it.

Key Takeaway

Reject any acceptance of immoral laws.

Themes

justice law morality

Mood

serious motivated

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- legislation
- social movements
- education curricula

Key Concepts

ethics political theory

Questions to Reflect On

- What laws challenge your morals?
- How can you oppose silently accepted wrongs?

A Different Perspective

Societal pressure may normalize injustice.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Ship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ship/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slave trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave-trade/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Toleration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toleration/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/)

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