Quotessence
Home / Authors / Lysander Spooner
Lysander Spooner

Lysander Spooner Quotes

Philosopher

Filter quotes by topic

AllGovernmentMenIfsPersonsLawPeopleNaturalPrinciplesRightsSlaveIndividualConsentContractsLibertyStatesJusticePropertyRobbersConstitutionCrime

Famous Lysander Spooner Quotes

“All legitimate government is a mutual insurance company, voluntarily agreed upon by the parties to it, for the protection of their rights against wrong-doers. In its voluntary character it is precisely similar to an association for mutual protection against fire or shipwreck.”

CharacterGovernmentPartyCompanyFireRightsProtectionMutualAssociationDoersInsurance CompaniesShipwreckLegitimate Government
Book:An Essay on the Trial by Jury
Create image

“If any man's money can be taken by a so-called government, without his own personal consent, all his other rights are taken with it; for with his money the government can, and will, hire soldiers to stand over him, compel him to submit to its arbitrary will, and kill him if he resists.”

IfsMenGovernmentTakenRightsSoldierSubmitConsentArbitrary
Book:A Letter to Grover Cleveland on His False Inaugural Address, the Usurpation and Crimes of Lawmakers and Judges, and Consequent Poverty, Ignorance, and Servitude of the People
Create image

“A man's natural rights are his own, against the whole world; and any infringement of them is equally a crime, whether committed by one man, or by millions; whether committed by one man, calling himself a robber, (or by any other name indicating his true character,) or by millions, calling themselves a government.”

MenWorldWholeCharacterGovernmentNamesNaturalMillionsRightsCrimeCallingCommittedWhole WorldOne ManRobbersNatural RightsTrue CharacterInfringement
Book:No Treason: No. 1-
Create image

“If two individuals enter into a contract to commit trespass, theft, robbery or murder upon a third, the contract is unlawful and void, simply because it is a contract to violate natural justice, or men's natural rights.”

IfsMenTwoIndividualNaturalJusticeRightsThirdsMurderCommitContractsVoidTheftRobberyNatural RightsUnlawfulNatural Justice
Book:The unconstitutionality of slavery: including parts first and second
Create image

“Legally speaking, the term 'public rights' is as vague and indefinite as are the terms 'public health,' 'public good,' 'public welfare,' and the like. It has no legal meaning, except when used to describe the separate, private, individual rights of a greater or less number of individuals.”

UsedIndividualTermNumbersGreaterRightsWelfareVaguePublic HealthIndividual RightsPublic GoodPublic Welfare
Book:The collected works of Lysander Spooner
Create image

“It is self-evident that no number of men, by conspiring, and calling themselves a government, can acquire any rights whatever over other men, or other men's property, which they had not before, as individuals. And whenever any number of men, calling themselves a government, do anything to another man, or to his property, which they had no right to do as individuals, they thereby declare themselves trespassers, robbers, or murderers, according to the nature of their acts.”

MenSelfGovernmentIndividualNumbersRightsCallingPropertyAcquireEvidentMurdererAnother ManRobbersConspiring
Author:Lysander Spooner
Create image