Authority Quote by Michel de Montaigne
“Laws are maintained in credit, not because they are essentially just, but because they are laws. It is the mystical foundation of their authority; they have none other.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: On Laws, Book 2, Michel de Montaigne, 1580
Laws persist because of collective belief, not inherent justice; their power is a shared illusion.
In simple terms: Laws work because we believe they do.
Key Takeaway
Question the foundations of authority.
Themes
law
authority
belief
social contract
illusion
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- legal reform
- public policy debates
- education on civic duty
Key Concepts
political theory
philosophy
sociology
Questions to Reflect On
- What gives laws their power?
- Can unjust laws be reformed without losing order?
A Different Perspective
Changing belief may not easily alter entrenched systems.
![“For as laws are necessary that good manners may be preserved, so there is need of good manner that laws may be maintained. [It., Perche, cosi come i buoni costumi, per mantenersi, hanno bisogno delli leggi; cosi le leggi per ossevarsi, hanno bisogno de' buoni costumi.]” quote by Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a91/niccolo-machiavelli-368_good-man_for-as-laws-are-necessary-that-good-mann_783579.jpg)
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)