The Essence of Law

Law is an ordinance of reason. The word lawderives from a Latin word which means to bind. Now, therule or measure of human acts is reason; what binds a man inreference to human acts pertains to reason.

Law is an ordinance of reason for the common good ofpersons in a society. Law is not directly for the benefit ofindividual persons as such, although it binds individual persons.Law is primarily for the benefit of individuals in a group, in asociety.

A law is thus an ordinance of reason for the commongood. A law is made either by the society which it binds, or it isimposed on that society by the public personage who has charge ofthe society and authority to rule it.

A law must be promulgated. That is, it must besufficiently announced and made known to those upon whom it laysobligation. Without knowledge of a law, a person cannot be guidedby it in his human acts. The full definition of law is: anordinance of reason, made and promulgated for the common good byone who has charge of a community or society.