The quote “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty” is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, but there is no evidence he ever said or wrote that exact phrase.
Unfortunately, there’s no original source for this quote, so it’s most likely a modern paraphrase of ideas expressed by several Enlightenment thinkers and American revolutionaries including Jefferson. The sentiment is in line with the Declaration of Independence and other writings of the time but the exact wording doesn’t show up in verified historical documents.
It’s hard to verify quotes especially for phrases that are popular. Many quotes get misattributed to famous people over time.
What does the quote mean?
The quote “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty” simply means that when a government becomes tyrannical to the point that it violates the rights and freedoms of its citizens, the citizens should rebel against their government.
It’s controversial in that it suggests breaking the law is justified when you’re faced with the threat of a tyrannical government, and what is tyrannical is subjective.
For example, in the US conservatives may see taking away gun ownership rights as tyrannical, whilst progressives may see banning abortion in certain states as a violation of human rights and freedoms.
It is all related to social contract theory, which has its roots deep in the philosophy behind Western nations.
