On the record
He would need only to use his own reason as to its meaning and its justice, and then talk with his neighbors on the same points.
Said by
Lysander Spooner
Source
gutenberg.orgLysander Spooner: “He would need only to use his own reason as to its meaning and its justice, and then talk with his neighbors on the same…”
Editor's note · Context
Spooner suggests that individuals can determine the meaning and justice of laws through reason and discussion with their neighbors.
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More from Lysander Spooner
On the contrary, they acknowledge themselves robbers, murderers, and villains, pure and simple.
They do not tell us that all liberty and order would be destroyed, that society itself would go to pieces, and man go back to barbarism, if it were not for the care, and supervision, and protection, they lavish upon us.
When they have once taken our money, they have the decency to get out of our sight as soon as possible; they do not persist in following us, and robbing us, again and again, so long as we produce anything that they can take from us.
They do not tell us that they have established infallible supreme courts, to whom they refer all questions as to the legality of their acts, and that they do nothing that is not sanctioned by these courts.