Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.
Potter StewartRead
We dedicated ourselves to a powerful idea - organic law rather than naked power. There seems to be universal acceptance of that idea in the nation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of adhering to principles and laws over the mere exercise of power.
Potter Stewart's quote highlights a foundational principle of governance and justice, where the rule of law, stemming from organic and ethical ideals, is preferred over the arbitrary enforcement of power. It suggests that a society thrives when its members collectively accept and uphold these laws, fostering a notion of justice and accountability that transcends individual authority.
Themes
LawPowerJusticePrinciplesGovernance
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about constitutional rights, one could use this quote to emphasize the significance of law over authority.
More from Potter Stewart
All quotes βA person's mere propinquity to others independently suspected of criminal activity does not give rise to probable cause to search that person.
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It must always be remembered that what the Constitution forbids is not all searches and seizures, but unreasonable searches and seizures.
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Swift justice demands more than just swiftness.
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The 4th Amendment and the personal rights it secures have a long history. At the very core stands the right of a man to retreat into his own home and there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion.
Potter StewartRead
For the Fourth Amendment protects people, not places. What a person knowingly exposes to the public, even in his own home or office, is not a subject of Fourth Amendment protection. But what he seeks to preserve as private, even in an area accessible to the public, may be constitutionally protected.
Potter StewartRead
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