Ethics-and-moral-philosophy Quote by Robert Bolt
““The currents and eddies of right and wrong, which you find such plain sailing, I can't navigate. I'm no voyager. But in the thickets of the law, oh, there I'm a forester. I doubt if there's a man alive who could follow me there ... ...when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you-where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast-man's laws, not God's-and if you cut them down-and you're just the man to do it-d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.””
About This Quote
Source Play: A Man for All Seasons, 1960
The speaker sees law as a tangled forest, impossible to navigate without expertise, and warns that without law, chaos would reign.
In simple terms: Law is complex; without it, chaos follows.
Key Takeaway
Respect expertise, recognize law’s limits.
Themes
law
morality
authority
chaos
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- courtroom debates
- policy making
- legal reform
- civil disobedience
- personal ethics
Key Concepts
jurisprudence
ethical dilemmas
power structures
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance legal authority with moral responsibility?
- Can law ever be truly just?
A Different Perspective
Law alone cannot guarantee moral order; power can corrupt.
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