Iron Law

Iron law may refer to:

  • Iron law of population, from Thomas Malthus' An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798)
  • Iron law of wages, from Ferdinand Lassalle's Subsistence theory of wages (mid 19th century)
  • Iron law of oligarchy, from Michels' Political Parties
  • Iron law of prohibition, from Cohen's How the Narcs Created Crack
  • Iron Law of Bureaucracy, from Jerry Pournelle.

Famous quotes containing the words iron and/or law:

    “Or bid the soul of Orpheus sing
    Such notes as, warbled to the string,
    Drew iron tears down Pluto’s cheek,
    And made Hell grant what love did seek;”
    —John Milton (1608–1674)

    “While the system of holding people in hostage is as old as the oldest war, a fresher note is introduced when a tyrannic state is at war with its own subjects and may hold any citizen in hostage with no law to restrain it.”
    —Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)