Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Graphic: Origin of The Rule of Law

This seems like an introspective portrayal by Ms. Jessica Hagy apropos "rules" which she calls Don't you know better by now?

From my point of view, this seems like a good depiction of the "origin of the rule of law".

Here is David Hume's the
History of England, (bold highlights mine)

``No government, at that time, appeared in the world, nor is perhaps found in the records of any history, which subsisted without a mixture of some arbitrary authority, committed to some magistrate; and it might reasonably, beforehand, appear doubtful whether human society could ever arrive at that state of perfection, as to support itself with no other control, than the general and rigid maxims of law and equity. But the Parliament justly thought that the King was too eminent a magistrate to be trusted with discretionary power, which he might so easily turn to the destruction of liberty. And in the event it has been found that,
though some inconveniencies arise from the maxim of adhering strictly to law, yet, the advantages so much overbalance them, as should render the English forever grateful to the memory of their ancestors who, after repeated contests, at last established that noble principle."

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