James MadisonJames Madison, (1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President

James Madison Quote

“Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit.”

James MadisonJames Madison
~ James Madison

Federalist No. 51, February 8, 1788

Ratings and Comments


Mike, Norwalk

A Corporeal government is an inorganic phantasm, an intangible concept that by execution - has only duties (no ability to receive or give rights). Law is also intangible. Law is matter's defined locution - discoverable rule(s) of action. Right(s) is that intangible domain inherent to the tangible being that is lawfully undeniable and is conformable to justice. Justice, depending on the law / philosophy of law implemented (natural law, legal positivism, legal realism, etc.) will have different meanings. Most generally accepted is that justice is - the constant and perpetual disposition to render every man his due. Purely at natural law it might be said that justice accurately associates the work to the worker or an act to the actor.

When a body politic is interviened to administer the affairs of the sovereign, justice is not always an end pursuit. Monarchies, oligarchies, etc. may be structured for the sole purpose of satysfying the desires of the most powerful. Considering the definitions of justice that I here wrote above, such would declare that compelled compliance, government license, victimless crimes, larceny with impunity (2nd plank of the communist manifesto, social security, etc.) and alienation of nature's endowed rights are all pursuits of injustice; such would prove up the last line of the quote "until liberty be lost in the pursuit."

E Archer, NYC

In truth, justice is the end of government IF, and only if, justice is the end of the People. It cannot be repeated enough that the hearts and minds of the People rule -- the question is, who rules the hearts and minds of the People? Am I the master of my own destiny or am I fulfilling some role already written for me by someone else? We will be free only if we take responsibility for that freedom.

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