Human Interaction and the Law

As it is used in my title, I mean the word "law" to be construed very broadly. I intend it to include not only the legal systems of states and nations, but also the smaller systems - at least "law-like" in structure and function - to be found in labor unions, professional associations, clubs, churches, and universities. These miniature legal systems are, of course, concerned with the member's duties and entitlements within the association itself. They find their most dramatic expression when the erring member is called up to be tried for offenses that may lead to his being disciplined or expelled.

When the concept of law is given this broad coverage, it becomes apparent that many of the central issues of today are, in this extended sense, "legal" in nature. The pressure of our present predicament pushes us - as we have not been pushed for a long time - toward an effort at comprehension. We must come to perceive and understand the moral and psychological forces that underlie law generally and give it efficacy in human affairs.