Why We Obey the Law

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Introduction

Human beings are social beings who need each other to exist . This is especially so given the fact that at the time of birth , human being is so much dependent on the environment such that without help , it would be very hard for human babies to even mature . However as human beings mature up , they become more independent and therefore are dependent on the society . Human beings are dependent on each other and to co-exist peacefully they must abide by the law

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are several kinds of laws that help societies to co-exist peacefully , besides ensuring peace these laws regulate and arbitrate between parties to ensure the prosperity of a society . Civil law is the kind of law which concerns matters which are not outrightly of a criminal nature but arise out of disagreements between individuals or parties . Such cases once resolved lead to compensation to damages or other types of more lenient punishments as compared to criminal cases Criminal cases , on the other hand , are primarily concerned with protection of primary human rights and are implemented by law enforcers such as the legal system that comprises of judges , juries , courts police officers and probation officers . Criminal law is aimed at ensuring the safety of all people in a given society as well as punishing those who are found guilty of breaking such laws

On the other hand , human beings become more bound by the social laws that exist in the society to prevent anarchy and to prevent human beings from harming each other . Traditionally , every society came up with its own laws which members were supposed to obey . These laws were aimed at guiding the society into peaceful co-existence and were also aimed at making sure that cases involving members of the community were arbitrated properly and according to the relevant laws . Were it not for these laws and commitment to obedience to such laws , perhaps no development would have ever been achieved maybe humanity would have been wiped off the universe

In the 21st century obedience to the law has taken dimensions although the main motivation remains that of ensuring that peace prevails in the world . In to make sure that nations co-exist peacefully there is international law which govern international relations . Under the international law , states are supposed to abide by given guidelines and the UN is mandated to intervene in situations whereby relationships between nations deteriorate . The social contract theory states that human beings live in an ideal state , which leads all men to get into contract amongst themselves so as to co-exist peacefully . Under such arrangements states elect leaders who are empowered to guide societies into success . Due to the conflicts amongst members of the society , members are required not to give into temptations of violating the laws . Violation is punished according to the law and society continues to thrive

It is worth noting that under the natural state , man is not bound by any law and can act indiscriminately...