doctrine of necessity
Necessarianism, especially as espoused by Joseph PriestleyNecessarianism, especially as espoused by Joseph Priestley.
Translations
1 languagesMeaning
5 sensesA principle whereby a normally criminal act is justified by the necessity of preserving something of greater utilitarian value than that lost or sacrificed; not to be confused with self-defence.
Necessarianism, especially as espoused by Joseph Priestley.
The principle that, in a situation of emergency or exigent circumstance, a state may legitimately act in ways that would normally be illegal.
More meanings 2
The principle that the laws, of governance in action, should be deemed valid insofar as they do not contradict the constitution. Validated on the basis that maintenance of government is of greater utilitarian value than maintenance of the law.
The principle that a state in immediate peril to its existence, from a situation not of its own doing, may in extremis be justified in violating a right of another state.
Forms
plural: doctrine of necessities| Singular | doctrine of necessity |
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Synonyms
2 synonymsWord family
1 related wordsSee also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.