Law is a term that describes a body of rules and practices enforced by social or governmental institutions. Law can be written or unwritten and it may be interpreted in many different ways. The precise definition of law is a matter of ongoing debate.
In general, law describes a set of rules that are binding and must be obeyed. It is also used to refer to the discipline of legal studies, including the training and work done by lawyers. Laws govern many aspects of daily life and are a powerful force that can shape politics, economics, history and society. Laws often affect people in complex and difficult ways and can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as power, culture, religion, race and class.
The word law comes from the Old Norse lag, which means “laying order.” Law is often seen as a tool for controlling human behavior and can be defined in various ways. For example, laws can be seen as a set of commands, backed by the threat of sanctions, from a sovereign to his or her subjects. Laws can also be seen as a code of morality or as an inviolable natural order.
Whether it’s a rule to eat five fruits and vegetables a day or a law against murder, each is a kind of law. However, it can be hard to determine the difference between a suggestion and a law. A good way to distinguish a suggestion from a law is to consider how likely it is to be enforced and what the consequences of breaking that suggestion might be. If the suggestion is not enforceable or there are no penalties, it is not a law.
A broad range of fields are covered by the term law, including contract law, which regulates agreements to exchange goods or services; criminal and civil procedure, which outlines the process for a trial and appeal; and property law, which defines people’s rights to tangible objects such as homes, cars, furniture and shares of stock. There are also specialized fields such as labour law, which deals with the tripartite industrial relationship between worker, employer and trade union; and international law, which examines the overlapping areas of international politics, business and economics.
The philosophy of law is an important field of study, and philosophers have argued over what law actually consists of. For example, utilitarian philosophers like Jeremy Bentham argue that the purpose of law is to serve the common good. Other philosophers, such as Hans Kelsen, have developed a more ‘pure’ theory of law that defines it as a normative science that reflects on rationality and fairness. Other theories, such as those of John Austin and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, define law as a system of societal norms that reflect innate morality. In this sense, laws can be seen as a tool for ordering human society and making it more peaceful and harmonious. This is sometimes referred to as the “natural law” doctrine.