Reading drills

UNIT 3

WHAT IS LAW?

1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words:

a. stress the first syllable:

trouble, purpose, regulate, conduct, fair, difference, fear, influence, murder, rarely, primitive, authorized, legislature, relatively, welfare;

b. stress the second syllable:

devote, exist, define, society, arise, consider, relationship, condemn, immoral, illegal, confusion, disorder, coercive, enforce, appropriate, maintain, contribute, dispute, facilitate;

c. stress the third syllable:

definition, regulation, explanation, recognize, jurisprudence.

TEXT A. What is Law?

The question "What is law?" has troubled people for many years. Jurisprudence is devoted to an­swering this question. Many definitions of law exist, but for our purposes, law can be defined as that set of rules or regulations by which a government regulates the conduct of people within a society. Even with this explanation, many other questions arise. Where do laws come from? Do we need laws? Are all laws written? Can laws change? Are all laws fair? What is the difference between laws and morals?

Law is generally found in constitutions, legislation and judicial decisions. The nature and functions of law have varied throughout history. In modern societies, some authorized body such as a legislature or a court makes the law. It is supported by the coercive power of the state, which enforces the law by means of appropriate penalties or remedies.

To understand the law, we must consider the relationship of law to morals. Our legal system is influenced by traditional ideas of right and wrong. Thus, most people would condemn murder, regardless of what the law said. However, everything that is considered immoral is not necessarily illegal. For example, lying to a friend may be immoral but is rarely illegal. Of course, a lawmaker may respond to public opinion or other pressures, and a formal law may prohibit what is morally unacceptable.

Law serves a variety of functions. Laws against crimes, for example, help to maintain a peaceful, orderly, relatively stable society. Courts contribute to social stability by resolving disputes in a civilized fashion. Property and contract laws facilitate business activities. Laws limit the powers of government and help to provide some degree of freedom that would not otherwise be possible. Law has also been used as a mechanism for social change; for instance, at various times laws has been passed to improve the quality of individual life in matters of health, education, and welfare. Law is not completely made by humans; it is also includes natural law.

One thing is certain: every society that has ever existed has recognized the need for law. These laws may have been unwritten, but; even primitive people had rules to regulate the conduct of the group. Without laws, there would be confusion, fear, and disorder. This does not mean that all laws are fair or even good, but imagine how people might take advantage of one another without some set of rules.