The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg read more

The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching read more

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when read more

No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it.

…a few philosophers really do important work. This applies to the so called ‘critical philosophy’ and to the theory of read more

…a few philosophers really do important work. This applies to the so called ‘critical philosophy’ and to the theory of knowledge or epistemology. This class of workers I call epistemologists to avoid the disagreeable implications of the term ‘philosopher’.

A group of white South Africans recently killed a black lawyer because he was black. That was wrong. They should read more

A group of white South Africans recently killed a black lawyer because he was black. That was wrong. They should have killed him because he was a lawyer.

Where there are laws, he who has not broken them need not
tremble.
[It., Ove son leggi,
read more

Where there are laws, he who has not broken them need not
tremble.
[It., Ove son leggi,
Tremar non dee chi leggi non infranse.]

Laws that do not embody public opinion can never be enforced.

Laws that do not embody public opinion can never be enforced.

I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend read more

I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure -- that is all that agnosticism means.

The law is a strange thing. It makes a man swear to tell the truth, and every time he shows read more

The law is a strange thing. It makes a man swear to tell the truth, and every time he shows signs of doing so, some lawyer objects.