The study of Law focuses on the rules and norms that regulate people’s interactions in societies, whether local, national or international. Laws shape politics, history and society in different ways and serve as a mediator of relationships between groups of people. They also serve as a means of social control and coercion.
Laws are derived from many sources and a law’s definition is often subject to debate. John Austin’s utilitarian answer was that law consists of “commands, backed by the threat of sanction, from a superior to men, as political subjects” whereas others, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, argue that laws reflect essentially moral and unchangeable principles of nature.
Generally, legal systems divide into private and public law. Private law deals with contracts, torts and property whereas public law covers criminal, administrative and constitutional law, among other things. Some legal systems also have other categories, such as trust and statutory law.
Other law topics include family and labour law, environmental and corporate law. Some areas of law are more specialised, such as biolaw and computational law.
The “rule of law” is a set of standards and principles that underlie healthy communities that provide opportunity, security, and peace. This framework includes four universal principles: accountability; just law; open government; and accessible and impartial justice. A robust rule of law protects against anarchy and Hobbesian war of all against all; it ensures that people can understand the consequences of their actions and that the laws are not arbitrary, corrupt or biased.