The Effects of Law

The effect of law is to make men good. For law is an ordinance of reason; it is the function of such ordinance to direct men, through virtue, to their true end. If, however, the intention of the lawgiver is not to direct men to their true goal, the law does not tend to make men good simply; it tends tomake men good only in the sense that they conform well with the intention of the law. Hence, a tyrannous law that aims at herdingmen into servile obedience, tends to make men good slaves. But after all, a tyrannous law is not a true law, for it is not inline with reason; it is not truly an ordinance of reason.

Law seeks to obtain its effect by directing those bound by it, and its requirements are expressed in four ways: permission,command, prohibition, penalty.