--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or…" description: "\"We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative act: is it good? Is it fair? Is it just? Is it right? Will it help bring about a better society ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/tony-judt-1730_answers_we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or_1210503.jpg" --- # We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative… ![“We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative act: is it good? Is it fair? Is it just? Is it right? Will it help bring about a better society or a better world? Those used to be the political questions, even if they invited no easy answers. We must learn once again to pose them.” quote by Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/tony-judt-1730_answers_we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or_1210503.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/tony-judt-1730_answers_we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or_1210503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/tony-judt-1730_answers_we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or_1210503.jpg) > “We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative act: is it good? Is it fair? Is it just? Is it right? Will it help bring about a better society or a better world? Those used to be the political questions, even if they invited no easy answers. We must learn once again to pose them.” [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that modern societies should evaluate laws and policies based on their moral impact, not just legal validity. **In simple terms:** Judge policies by fairness and justice. Key Takeaway Assess policies for societal benefit. Themes justice ethics politics societal impact Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legislative reform - judicial review - public debate - citizen activism Key Concepts moral philosophy public policy civic responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence moral assessment of laws? - What mechanisms ensure fairness in policy? A Different Perspective Legal frameworks may lack moral clarity without public engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Ask Judicial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-judicial-3667019/) [Better world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-world/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Judicial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judicial/) [Legislative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislative/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-questions-1907090/) [Ruling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruling/) [Ruling Legislative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruling-legislative-3667020/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The constitution is either a superior paramount law, unchangeable by ordinary means, or it is on a level with ordinary legislative acts, alterable when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marshall/the-constitution-is-either-a-superior-paramount-law-unchangeable-by/) [John Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marshall/) > [The power of protest depends not only on how many turn out, but also on what legislative, judicial, and civil society institutions exist to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-power-of-protest-depends-not-only-on-how-many-turn-out-but-also/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [No legislative, administrative or judicial activity in the Hong Kong SAR is allowed to contradict the Basic Law, let alone to go against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wu-bangguo/no-legislative-administrative-or-judicial-activity-in-the-hong-kong/) [Wu Bangguo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wu-bangguo/) > [Last year, I was proud to be an original co-sponsor of legislation that would increase federal judges' salaries by more than 40 percent. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/last-year-i-was-proud-to-be-an-original-co-sponsor-of-legislation/) [Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/) > [I hope that the American public understands that we have three levels of government. We have the (unintelligible) the executive, but there's legislative and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stockard-channing/i-hope-that-the-american-public-understands-that-we-have-three-levels/) [Stockard Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stockard-channing/) > [As the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial departments of the United States are co-ordinate, and each equally bound to support the Constitution, it follows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/as-the-legislative-executive-and-judicial-departments-of-the-united/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [A question arises whether all the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judicial, shall be left in this body? I think a people cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/a-question-arises-whether-all-the-powers-of-government-legislative/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [It is the union of independence and dependence of these branches - legislative, executive and judicial - and of the governmental functions possessed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/it-is-the-union-of-independence-and-dependence-of-these-branches/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [Legislative enactments proceed from men carrying their views a long time back; while judicial decisions are made off hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/legislative-enactments-proceed-from-men-carrying-their-views-a-long/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [We've always said a filibuster is not appropriate for judicial nominees. A filibuster is a legislative tool designed to extract compromises. A judicial nominee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-long/we-ve-always-said-a-filibuster-is-not-appropriate-for-judicial/) [Wendy Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-long/) > [The people in general ought to have regard to the moral character of those whom they invest with authority either in the legislative, executive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-witherspoon/the-people-in-general-ought-to-have-regard-to-the-moral-character-of/) [John Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-witherspoon/) > [“Let us leave political questions to be decided by the powers concerned," Sir Ralph would say, "as we have adopted a form of government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/let-us-leave-political-questions-to-be-decided-by-the-powers/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [It is weird. A lot of people try to ask me political questions. Im not a politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/it-is-weird-a-lot-of-people-try-to-ask-me-political-questions-im-not/) [Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/) > [Great political questions stir the deepest nature of one-half the nation, but they pass far above and over the heads of the other half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/great-political-questions-stir-the-deepest-nature-of-one-half-the/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The great political questions are in their final analysis great moral questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/the-great-political-questions-are-in-their-final-analysis-great-moral/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) ## More by Tony Judt > [I don't believe in an afterlife. I don't believe in a single or multiple godhead. I respect people who do, but I don't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-don-t-believe-in-an-afterlife-i-don-t-believe-in-a-single-or/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“Markets do not automatically generate trust, cooperation or collective action for the common good. Quite the contrary: it is in the nature of economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/markets-do-not-automatically-generate-trust-cooperation-or-collective/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“ Lieux de memoire . . . 'exist because there are no longer any milieux de memoire , settings in which memory is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/lieux-de-memoire-exist-because-there-are-no-longer-any-milieux-de/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“Keynes died in 1946, exhausted by his wartime efforts. But he had long since demonstrated that neither capitalism nor liberalism would survive very long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/keynes-died-in-1946-exhausted-by-his-wartime-efforts-but-he-had-long/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [The Second World War had a precipitating effect in that it discredited the empires, as well as bankrupting them. Not only could you no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/the-second-world-war-had-a-precipitating-effect-in-that-it/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“That the state might exceed its remit and damage the market by distorting its operations was not taken very seriously in these years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/that-the-state-might-exceed-its-remit-and-damage-the-market-by/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“Whatever their other differences, French Gaullists, Christian Democrats and Socialists shared a common faith in the activist state, economic planning and large-scale public investment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/whatever-their-other-differences-french-gaullists-christian-democrats/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [I think if I'm controversial it's not because I set out to be. It's because I've never felt comfortable being part of someone else's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-think-if-i-m-controversial-it-s-not-because-i-set-out-to-be-it-s/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“This reduction of 'society' to a thin membrane of interactions between private individuals is presented today as the ambition of libertarians and free marketeers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/this-reduction-of-society-to-a-thin-membrane-of-interactions-between/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“Something is profoundly wrong with the way we live today. For thirty years we have made a virtue out of the pursuit of material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/something-is-profoundly-wrong-with-the-way-we-live-today-for-thirty/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“Today, neither Left nor Right can find their footing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/today-neither-left-nor-right-can-find-their-footing/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [We have responsibilities for others, not just across space but across time. We have responsibilities to people who came before us. They left us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/we-have-responsibilities-for-others-not-just-across-space-but-across/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“What did trust, cooperation, progressive taxation and the interventionist state bequeath to western societies in the decades following 1945? The short answer is, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/what-did-trust-cooperation-progressive-taxation-and-the/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [Healthcare reform is a paradigmatic case. It is self-evidently necessary and inevitable and has been on the agenda for 35 years, and the political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/healthcare-reform-is-a-paradigmatic-case-it-is-self-evidently/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“Inequality is corrosive. It rots societies from within.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/inequality-is-corrosive-it-rots-societies-from-within/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) [Explore all 211 Tony Judt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) [Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative act: is it good? Is it fair? Is it just? Is it right? Will it help bring about a better society or a better world? Those used to be the political questions, even if they invited no easy answers. We must learn once again to pose them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Judt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or-a-legislative-act-is-it-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or-a-legislative-act-is-it-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/tony-judt-1730_answers_we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or_1210503.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/tony-judt-1730_answers_we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or_1210503.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/tony-judt-1730_answers_we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or_1210503.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative act: is it good? Is it fair? Is it just? Is it right?…” — Tony Judt", "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": "Tony Judt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We no longer ask of a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or-a-legislative-act-is-it-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/we-no-longer-ask-of-a-judicial-ruling-or-a-legislative-act-is-it-good/#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 } } ] } ```