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 IV.

What, then, is legislation? It is an assumption by one man, or body of men, of absolute, irresponsible dominion over all other men whom they can subject to their power. It is the assumption by one man, or body of men, of a right to subject all other men to their will and their service. It is the assumption by one man, or body of men, of a right to abolish outright all the natural rights, all the natural liberty of all other men; to make all other men their slaves; to arbitrarily dictate to all other men what they may, and may not, do; what they may, and may not, have; what they may, and may not, be. It is, in short, the assumption of a right to banish the principle of human rights, the principle of justice itself, from off the earth, and set up their own personal will, pleasure, and interest in its place. All this, and nothing less, is involved in the very idea that there can be any such thing as human legislation that is obligatory upon those upon whom it is imposed.