Antonin Scalia was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1986 until his death in 2016. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Scalia was known for his conservative views and his advocacy of originalism and textualism in constitutional interpretation. He believed that the Constitution should be interpreted based on its original meaning at the time it was adopted. Scalia’s sharp wit, strong opinions, and influential judicial philosophy made him one of the most prominent and polarizing figures in the history of the Court.

Top 10 Quotes by Antonin Scalia

1. “A man who has made no enemies is probably not a very good man.”
— Antonin Scalia

2. “I attack ideas. I don’t attack people. And some very good people have some very bad ideas. And if you can’t separate the two, you gotta get another day job. You don’t want to be a judge. At least not a judge on a multi-member panel.”
— Antonin Scalia

3. “The main business of a lawyer is to take the romance, the mystery, the irony, the ambiguity out of everything he touches.”
— Antonin Scalia

4. “In a big family the first child is kind of like the first pancake. If it’s not perfect, that’s okay, there are a lot more coming along.”
— Antonin Scalia

5. “If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world.”
— Antonin Scalia

6. “Until the courts put a stop to it, public debate over same-sex marriage displayed American democracy at its best. Individuals on both sides of the issue passionately, but respectfully, attempted to persuade their fellow citizens to accept their views.”
— Antonin Scalia

7. “What is a moderate interpretation of the text? Halfway between what it really means and what you’d like it to mean?”
— Antonin Scalia

8. “I love to argue. I’ve always loved to argue. And I love to point out the weaknesses of the opposing arguments. It may well be that I’m something of a shin kicker. It may well be that I’m something of a contrarian.”
— Antonin Scalia

9. “I’m not a scientist. That’s why I don’t want to have to deal with global warming, to tell you the truth.”
— Antonin Scalia

10. “There is nothing new in the realization that the Constitution sometimes insulates the criminality of a few in order to protect the privacy of us all.”
— Antonin Scalia