I do not think we need trouble ourselves with the

I do not think we need trouble ourselves with the thought that my view depends upon differences of degree. The whole law does so as soon as it is civilized. . . . Negligence is all degree—that of the defendant here degree of the nicest sort; and between the variations according to distance that I suppose to exist and the simple universality of the rules in the Twelve Tables of the Leges Barbarorum, there lies the culture of two thousand years.

Time and Its Passage

Comments (0)

No comments yet. Be the first to comment.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

1809-08-29 — 1894-10-07 · Cambridge

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was a prominent American physician, professor, and poet, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1809. He is remembered for his contributions to medicine, particularly in the field of preventing puerperal infections, and also for his prolific literary career. As a poet, Holmes was known for his witty verses and sharp observations on 19th-century American society. He was an important figure in Boston's intellectual life and one of the founders of The Atlantic Monthly. His son, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., also became a renowned U.S. Supreme Court justice.