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Acknowledge Quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

“I stand ready to negotiate, but I want no part of laws: I acknowledge none; I protest against every order with which some authority may feel pleased on the basis of some alleged necessity to over-rule my free will. Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the…” quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
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“I stand ready to negotiate, but I want no part of laws: I acknowledge none; I protest against every order with which some authority may feel pleased on the basis of some alleged necessity to over-rule my free will. Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak, fishing nets in the hands of government.”

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

About This Quote

Source Book: What Is Property? by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, 1840

The quote condemns laws as tools that favor the powerful while oppressing the vulnerable, questioning their legitimacy.

In simple terms: Laws favor the rich and bind the poor.

Key Takeaway

Question and resist unjust authority.

Themes

justice power authority inequality freedom

Mood

defiant critical skeptical

Type

political philosophical revolutionary

When to use this quote

  • activism
  • legal reform
  • community organizing
  • civil disobedience

Key Concepts

anarchism social critique political philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

  • What laws serve the common good?
  • How can societies balance authority and liberty?
A Different Perspective

The critique may overlook laws that protect rights and promote social order.

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