--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea that laws decide what is right…" description: "\"The idea that laws decide what is right or wrong is mistaken in general. Laws are, at their best, an attempt to achieve justice; to say that laws defin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/richard-stallman-4048_achieve_the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right_2034729.png" --- # The idea that laws decide what is right or wrong is… ![“The idea that laws decide what is right or wrong is mistaken in general. Laws are, at their best, an attempt to achieve justice; to say that laws define justice or ethical conduct is turning things upside down.” quote by Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/richard-stallman-4048_achieve_the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right_2034729.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/richard-stallman-4048_achieve_the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right_2034729.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/richard-stallman-4048_achieve_the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right_2034729.png) > “The idea that laws decide what is right or wrong is mistaken in general. Laws are, at their best, an attempt to achieve justice; to say that laws define justice or ethical conduct is turning things upside down.” [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Laws aim for justice but cannot define it; equating law with ethics is flawed. **In simple terms:** Laws try for justice but aren’t the same as ethics. Key Takeaway Distinguish legal from moral judgments. Themes law justice ethics Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - legislation - court decisions - corporate policy - civil rights activism Key Concepts philosophy political theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you resolve conflicts between law and morality? - When should you challenge unjust laws? A Different Perspective Legal systems can be imperfect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Right or wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-or-wrong/) ## Related quotes > [I've never heard anyone say that the laws in immigration are well-structured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/i-ve-never-heard-anyone-say-that-the-laws-in-immigration-are-well/) [Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/) > [When you think about Uber and Airbnb and the other companies that are turning things upside down, Uber isn't big 'cause they ran a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/when-you-think-about-uber-and-airbnb-and-the-other-companies-that-are/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [It's amazing where a joke might come from. I find a lot of humour just by metaphorically turning things upside down or literally like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/it-s-amazing-where-a-joke-might-come-from-i-find-a-lot-of-humour-just/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [Few poets have made a more interesting rhetoric out of just fooling around: turning things upside down, looking at them from under the sofa,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/few-poets-have-made-a-more-interesting-rhetoric-out-of-just-fooling/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [The anarchists put the thing upside down. They declare that the proletarian revolution must begin by doing away with the political organization of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/the-anarchists-put-the-thing-upside-down-they-declare-that-the/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [The miracles of Jesus are signs of the right order of things. Jesus was not so much turning things upside down as turning them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/the-miracles-of-jesus-are-signs-of-the-right-order-of-things-jesus/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [I think what we need to do is to step back as a society and say okay, we've kind of turned things upside-down. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/i-think-what-we-need-to-do-is-to-step-back-as-a-society-and-say-okay/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [H.P.Lovecraft could've been trying to do a Marx to Hegel, that kind of thing, in other words, turn the thing upside down and crawl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/h-p-lovecraft-could-ve-been-trying-to-do-a-marx-to-hegel-that-kind-of/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-b-simpson/the-chief-danger-of-the-church-today-is-that-it-is-trying-to-get-on/) [A. B. Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-b-simpson/) ## More by Richard Stallman > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [I consider that the Golden Rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it. Software…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/i-consider-that-the-golden-rule-requires-that-if-i-like-a-program-i/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Think 'free speech,' not 'free beer.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/think-free-speech-not-free-beer/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [If you can find a host for me that has a friendly parrot, I will be very very glad… DON'T buy a parrot figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/if-you-can-find-a-host-for-me-that-has-a-friendly-parrot-i-will-be/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Sharing is good, and with digital technology, sharing is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/sharing-is-good-and-with-digital-technology-sharing-is-easy/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [In the US, you even lose legal rights if you store your data in a company's machines instead of your own. The police need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/in-the-us-you-even-lose-legal-rights-if-you-store-your-data-in-a/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [EMACS could not have been reached by a process of careful design, because such processes arrive only at goals which are visible at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/emacs-could-not-have-been-reached-by-a-process-of-careful-design/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [A hacker is someone who enjoys playful cleverness—not necessarily with computers. The programmers in the old MIT free software community of the 60s and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/a-hacker-is-someone-who-enjoys-playful-cleverness-not-necessarily/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [When I launched the development of the GNU system, I explicitly said the purpose of developing this system is so we can use our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/when-i-launched-the-development-of-the-gnu-system-i-explicitly-said/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Writing non-free software is not an ethically legitimate activity, so if people who do this run into trouble, that's good! All businesses based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/writing-non-free-software-is-not-an-ethically-legitimate-activity-so/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [In essence, Chrome OS is the GNU/Linux operating system. However, it is delivered without the usual applications, and rigged up to impede and discourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/in-essence-chrome-os-is-the-gnu-linux-operating-system-however-it-is/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [If in my lifetime the problem of non-free software is solved, I could perhaps relax and write software again. But I might instead try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/if-in-my-lifetime-the-problem-of-non-free-software-is-solved-i-could/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Now that corporations dominate society and write the laws, each advance or change in technology is an opening for them to further restrict or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/now-that-corporations-dominate-society-and-write-the-laws-each/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [The idea of free software is that users of computing deserve freedom. They deserve in particular to have control over their computing. And proprietary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-idea-of-free-software-is-that-users-of-computing-deserve-freedom/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Android is a major step towards an ethical, user-controlled, free-software portable phone, but there is a long way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/android-is-a-major-step-towards-an-ethical-user-controlled-free/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) [Explore all 117 Richard Stallman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) ## More Achieve quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) Deon Taylor > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The idea that laws decide what is right or wrong is mistaken in general. Laws are, at their best, an attempt to achieve justice; to say that laws define justice or ethical conduct is turning things upside down.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Stallman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right-or-wrong-is-mistaken-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achieve" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right-or-wrong-is-mistaken-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/richard-stallman-4048_achieve_the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right_2034729.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/richard-stallman-4048_achieve_the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right_2034729.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/richard-stallman-4048_achieve_the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right_2034729.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The idea that laws decide what is right or wrong is mistaken in general. Laws are, at their best, an attempt…” — Richard Stallman", "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": "Richard Stallman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The idea that laws decide what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right-or-wrong-is-mistaken-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-idea-that-laws-decide-what-is-right-or-wrong-is-mistaken-in/#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 } } ] } ```