The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Natural Law.: Part First.
• Chapter I.: The Science of Justice.
• Section I.
• Section II.
• Section III.
• Section IV.
• Chapter II.: The Science of Justice ( Continued )
• Section I.
• Section II.
• Section III.
• Section IV.
• Section V.
• Section VI.
• Section VII.
• Section VIII.
• Chapter III.: Natural Law Contrasted With Legislation.
• Section I.
• Section II.
• Section III.
• Section IV.

Section V.

If there be such a natural principle as justice, it is necessarily the highest, and consequently the only and universal, law for all those matters to which it is naturally applicable. And, consequently, all human legislation is simply and always an assumption of authority and dominion, where no right of authority or dominion exists. It is, therefore, simply and always an intrusion, an absurdity, an usurpation, and a crime.

On the other hand, if there be no such natural principle as justice, there can be no such thing as injustice. If there be no such natural principle as honesty, there can be no such thing as dishonesty; and no possible act of either force or fraud, committed by one man against the person or property of another, can be said to be unjust or dishonest; or be complained of, or prohibited, or punished as such. In short, if there be no such principle as justice, there can be no such acts as crimes; and all the professions of governments, so called, that they exist, either in whole or in part, for the punishment or prevention of crimes, are professions that they exist for the punishment or prevention of what never existed, nor ever can exist. Such professions are therefore confessions that, so far as crimes are concerned, governments have no occasion to exist; that there is nothing for them to do, and that there is nothing that they can do. They are confessions that the governments exist for the punishment and prevention of acts that are, in their nature, simple impossibilities.