Social rules {law} can be for social control and for safeguarding liberties. Law analyzes definitions, concepts, theories, systems, and reasoning. Law evaluates and criticizes ethics, obligations, and purposes. Law depends on society and history. A society ideal is the rule of law. Most law is about civil procedure and private law, not criminal law, because most conflicts are not criminal. Private law is more open than criminal or administrative law, as to interpretation, fairness, justice, and changing circumstances.
development
Law results from community-leader ability to force people not to use violence to right injustices or reclaim property. Later, controls and practices become customs. Customs protect rights; mete out responsibilities, duties, and benefits; and correct wrongs. Later, customs become law principles. Law principles justify actions, establish rules, define personal rights, and set punishments. Law principles lead to statutes and precedents.
principles
Law is clear, consistent, stable, public, fulfillable, not ex post facto, respected, and general. Law is authoritative, obligatory, fair, reasoned, objective, and true. Lawlessness, anarchy, and totalitarian alternatives are not viable or true.
rules
Law requires definitions and inference rules. Law rules forbid or permit behavior and state punishments. Rules are about contracts, sales, real estate, corporations, torts, and crimes.
types
Law has natural, logical, moral, and cultural aspects. Natural law says humans by nature have dignity and rights. Logical law is precise, consistent, and complete and is about law-rule forms and reasoning. Moral law is correct behavior and attitudes. Cultural law is from tradition and history.
institutions
Law leads to police, courts, and legislatures.
power
Law is about power and money and so involves emotions, which often skew judgments and obligations. Law is repressive and coercive and so automatically against freedom. Law helps propertied and privileged people. Law conceals true power relations between classes and people, by ideology or myth.
politics
Institutions, forms, procedures, courts, and legislation affect consent, sovereignty, authority, and obligations.
society
Legal systems can promote classes or ideologies. Legal systems depend on customs.
language
Law language can be obscure, illogical, untruthful, arbitrary, or rhetorical.
skepticism
Law decisions can not follow rules {rule skepticism}. Law decisions can use facts that do not relate to rules {fact skepticism}.
Outline of Knowledge Database Home Page
Description of Outline of Knowledge Database
Date Modified: 2022.0224