--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The court is really the keeper of the…" description: "\"The court is really the keeper of the conscience, and the conscience is the Constitution.\" — William O. Douglas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/william-o-douglas-2931_conscience_the-court-is-really-the-keeper-of-the-co_1316675.jpg" --- # The court is really the keeper of the conscience, and the… ![“The court is really the keeper of the conscience, and the conscience is the Constitution.” quote by William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/william-o-douglas-2931_conscience_the-court-is-really-the-keeper-of-the-co_1316675.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/william-o-douglas-2931_conscience_the-court-is-really-the-keeper-of-the-co_1316675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/william-o-douglas-2931_conscience_the-court-is-really-the-keeper-of-the-co_1316675.jpg) > “The court is really the keeper of the conscience, and the conscience is the Constitution.” [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The judiciary safeguards moral values, and those values shape the nation's foundational law. **In simple terms:** Courts protect conscience, which defines the Constitution. Key Takeaway Uphold ethical standards in law. Themes justice ethics law conscience constitution Mood reflective serious Type legal philosophical When to use this quote - court decisions - legislative drafting - public policy debates - civil rights litigation Key Concepts legal philosophy moral authority Questions to Reflect On - How should courts handle conflicts between personal conscience and majority rule? - Can conscience be objectively defined? A Different Perspective Balancing moral conscience with democratic pluralism can be contentious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) ## Related quotes > [“And so it is to the printing press--to the recorder of man's deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news--that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/and-so-it-is-to-the-printing-press-to-the-recorder-of-man-s-deeds-the/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We should foster a culture in which people's private religious beliefs, including atheists and agnostics, are respected. And that's the kind of culture that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-should-foster-a-culture-in-which-people-s-private-religious/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The universal elements are integrity, vision, discipline, passion, governed by conscience. Conscience has been educated through studying and pondering the universal, timeless principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/the-universal-elements-are-integrity-vision-discipline-passion/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Off the court, I'm not really that physical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jrue-holiday/off-the-court-i-m-not-really-that-physical/) [Jrue Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jrue-holiday/) > [What the Court really has refused to recognize is the fundamental interest all individuals have in controlling the nature of their intimate associations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/what-the-court-really-has-refused-to-recognize-is-the-fundamental/) [Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/) > [I think you have to go out believing you can win the match; otherwise, there's no point walking out on the court, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-barty/i-think-you-have-to-go-out-believing-you-can-win-the-match-otherwise/) [Ashleigh Barty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-barty/) > [I don't think that the Supreme Court really takes cases with kind of a theme in mind. They get about 10,000 requests a year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/i-don-t-think-that-the-supreme-court-really-takes-cases-with-kind-of/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [I'm just a very tough person when I go on the court, and I really don't want to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-m-just-a-very-tough-person-when-i-go-on-the-court-and-i-really-don/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Appellate advocacy, particularly at the Supreme Court, is really intimate. I mean, you're just a few feet away from the Chief Justice. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/appellate-advocacy-particularly-at-the-supreme-court-is-really/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [But our society - unlike most in the world - presupposes that freedom and liberty are in a frame of reference that makes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/but-our-society-unlike-most-in-the-world-presupposes-that-freedom-and/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Meditation is the art of awareness. And once you are aware, out of your awareness your actions will arise - not out of conscience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/meditation-is-the-art-of-awareness-and-once-you-are-aware-out-of-your/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The one who acts is always without conscience; nobody has a conscience but the contemplative person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-one-who-acts-is-always-without-conscience-nobody-has-a-conscience/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“I believe that I have a conscience. My conscience is God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-lim/i-believe-that-i-have-a-conscience-my-conscience-is-god/) Louisa Lim > [“But one of the rather open secrets about Catholicism is that plenty of Catholics don't toe the line as hard as the Vatican does.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-oakes/but-one-of-the-rather-open-secrets-about-catholicism-is-that-plenty/) [Kaya Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-oakes/) > [Always listen to the voice of your conscience. If your conscience conflicts with your faith, question everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/always-listen-to-the-voice-of-your-conscience-if-your-conscience/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) ## More by William O. Douglas > [The First Amendment makes confidence in the common sense of our people and in the maturity of their judgement the great postulate of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-amendment-makes-confidence-in-the-common-sense-of-our/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Common sense often makes good law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/common-sense-often-makes-good-law/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Inanimate objects are sometimes parties to litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/inanimate-objects-are-sometimes-parties-to-litigation-a-ship-has-a/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Any test that turns on what is offensive to the community's standards is too loose, too capricious, too destructive of freedom of expression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/any-test-that-turns-on-what-is-offensive-to-the-community-s-standards/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I've often thought that if planners were botanists, zoologists, geologists, and people who know about the earth, we would have much more wisdom in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-ve-often-thought-that-if-planners-were-botanists-zoologists/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I have the same confidence in the ability of our people to reject noxious literature as I have in their capacity to sort out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-have-the-same-confidence-in-the-ability-of-our-people-to-reject/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-liberties-of-none-are-safe-unless-the-liberties-of-all-are/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/a-function-of-free-speech-under-our-system-of-government-is-to-invite/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [At the constitutional level where we work, 90 percent of any decision is emotional. The rational part of us supplies the reasons for supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/at-the-constitutional-level-where-we-work-90-percent-of-any-decision/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [To be whole and harmonious, man must also know the music of the beaches and the woods. He must find the thing of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/to-be-whole-and-harmonious-man-must-also-know-the-music-of-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Sunlight is the best disinfectant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/sunlight-is-the-best-disinfectant/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [We deal with a right of privacy older than the Bill of Rights-older than our political parties, older than our school system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/we-deal-with-a-right-of-privacy-older-than-the-bill-of-rights-older/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [It is our attitude toward free thought and free expression that will determine our fate. There must be no limit on the range of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/it-is-our-attitude-toward-free-thought-and-free-expression-that-will/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The interests of the corporation state are to convert all the riches of the earth into dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-interests-of-the-corporation-state-are-to-convert-all-the-riches/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [There have always been grievances and youth has always been the agitator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/there-have-always-been-grievances-and-youth-has-always-been-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) [Explore all 145 William O. Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## More Conscience quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) Rabelaise > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [My morals are important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-parrish/my-morals-are-important-to-me/) [Hunter Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-parrish/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another ones belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another ones right to believe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/being-tolerant-does-not-mean-that-i-share-another-ones-belief-but-it/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Never can true courage dwell with them, Who, playing tricks with conscience, dare not look At their own vices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/never-can-true-courage-dwell-with-them-who-playing-tricks-with/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [I've worked with people who are much further to the left than I am and much further to the right than I am. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-ve-worked-with-people-who-are-much-further-to-the-left-than-i-am/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [ \[D\]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesketh-pearson/d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-which-is-another-name-for/) [Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesketh-pearson/) [Browse all 3,490 Conscience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The court is really the keeper of the conscience, and the conscience is the Constitution.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William O. 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