Law is a set of rules enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior. Its precise definition is a matter of longstanding debate, with some arguing that the concept encompasses a set of principles or a body of knowledge, while others assert that it means a system of command and control or an orderly way of arranging society.
Law can be state-enforced or privately created, and may take the form of statutes, decrees, or regulations. Private individuals may also create legally binding contracts and adopt alternative ways of resolving disputes to standard court litigation, such as arbitration agreements. Law may cover a broad range of subjects, such as contracts, property, employment, torts, crime, immigration, or biosciences. It can also refer to a specific legal field, as in Zola pursued her dream of becoming a lawyer, or more specifically a particular type of law, such as criminal, family, contract, international, or corporate law.
The concept of law is a fundamental element of every society, yet its precise definition is a matter of longstanding and contentious debate. Different legal systems have different ideas about what constitutes law, but most agree that law is a set of rules which a government enforces to ensure peaceful societies. In addition to governing the actions of individual citizens, law often shapes politics, economics, history, and culture in a society.
A central aspect of any law is that it should protect against anarchy or the Hobbesian war of all against all, allowing people to plan their affairs with reasonable confidence that they will not be subject to official arbitrariness. It should also guarantee that laws are publicly promulgated, equally enforced, and independently adjudicated.
Various theories of law have been proposed, including Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian theory that the purpose of law is to get what is best for the greatest number of people; John Austin’s theory that law consists of commands, backed by threat of sanctions from a sovereign that people have a natural habit of obeying; and the idea of natural law promoted by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Other theories of law are based on more abstract concepts, such as the laws of nature or the logical laws of thought. Laws of nature describe indisputable facts about the universe and the forces that operate within it, while logical laws of thought describe the results of certain types of actions. Laws that have a more practical application include civil law, which covers divorce proceedings and property rights, common law, which is derived from English precedent; commercial law, which covers the sale of goods and services; and international law, which deals with the relationships between nation-states. The Rule of Law is a term that describes the degree to which a country’s laws are publicly promulgated, equally applied and independently adjudicated, and are in line with international human rights standards. Several other principles of law are related to this concept, such as the supremacy of law, equality before the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, and the avoidance of arbitrariness.