proverb · Words worth keeping
Authority, not the truth, makes the law.
Authority, not the truth, makes the law.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Authority rather than truth making law distinguishes power to establish a rule from the rule’s factual correctness. The saying raises a question about legitimacy.
What the words are saying
This is a political perspective, not a universal legal finding. A critical reading does not conclude that evidence is irrelevant or that power deserves obedience merely because it can impose a rule. A useful discussion examines how authority is accountable and how claims are tested.
Everyday example
Someone asks both who can set a policy and what evidence supports it.
When to use it
Use it critically to separate rule-making power from factual justification.
What it does not mean
No universal account of legal systems or duty to obey unsupported power is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 718; PDF page 66; collection label: Latin
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Latin