Order or Self-Interest Analytical Essay by Top Papers

This paper attempts to explore the question of whether the law is a science governed by universal principles directed toward social order, or an inner directed system designed to serve the needs of those who practice it. The paper looks at the law's long history in Western culture, from its inception in the Roman legal tradition through its melding with the customary laws of the chthonic world of Northern Europe and through to the modern day where legal problems are often dealt with in an adversarial manner that while wasteful on the one hand, often leads to spectacular results in improving the lot of its most despised citizens.