Abstract

Society is a natural association of people to solve together vital for all issues that are not under force to them alone. To answer such problems in the interest of all, the society generates many institutions, each of which has to answer a specific set of tasks. State and statutory law are among such established by the society institutions for protection of the rights and freedoms of their members, streamlining the relations between them and ensuring their security. The degree of democracy processes of their formation, the institutions’ adherence to the public traditions and the effectiveness of control of the society over their performance determine the types of states, their social systems, and volume of the human rights, freedoms, and well-being of the people. Law, being an expression of the will of one person or group of people or society as a whole, governs all these processes. The article examines different understandings of the law and its role in people’s lives.

Keywords: Society; State; Law; Democracy; The will of the people; The laws of nature; The laws of nations; The rule of law; Lawlessness