Law Quote by Woodrow T Wilson
“Necessity makes laws, but does not obey them”
About This Quote
Source Speech: “On Law and Necessity”, 1913
Laws arise from necessity but aren’t bound by it.
In simple terms: Needs create laws, but laws aren’t forced to follow needs.
Key Takeaway
Question law’s origins.
Themes
law
philosophy
society
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
academic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy drafting
- legal reform debates
Key Concepts
legal theory
political science
Questions to Reflect On
- When should laws adapt to new needs?
- Who decides necessity?
A Different Perspective
May ignore moral considerations.
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
![“[Islam] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left for Muslims lies in their observance of the God-made law.” quote by Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/704/abul-a-la-maududi-51903_function_islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislatio_886.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
