There are different definitions of law given by various jurists. Some of the important definitions of law are as follows: The ancient Greek Philosopher Aristotle defined law 'as an embodiment of reasons whether in individual or the community'. British philosopher Jereny Benthan defined the as 'A collection of signs declarative of a volition conceived or adopted by the sovereign'

1. What is Law ?
Dr. Ganesh Visavale
April 4, 2020
Dr. Ganesh Visavale What is Law ? April 4, 2020 1 / 11

2. What is Law ?
Law is an
embodiment of
reasons whether in
individual or the
community.
Aristotle (427 BC - 314 BC)
Greek Philosopher
Dr. Ganesh Visavale What is Law ? April 4, 2020 2 / 11

3. What is Law ?
Law is a collection
of signs
declarative of a
volition conceived
or adopted by the
sovereign.
Bentham (1748-1832)
British Philosopher
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4. What is Law ?
Law is a body of
rules determined
and enforced by a
sovereign political
authority.
John Austin (1790-1859)
Noted British Jurist
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5. What is Law ?
Law is a system of
rules, a union of
primary and secondary
rules. The Primary
rules impose duties on
people to behave in
certain ways.
Secondary rules, by
contrast, pertain to
the primary rules.
H. L. A Hart (1907-1992)
Well known British Legal Philosopher
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6. What is Law ?
Law is a product of
the general
consciousness of
the people.
Savigny (1779-1861)
German Jurist and Historian
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7. What is Law ?
Law is an organised and
critically controlled
body of knowledge both
of legal institutions
and legal precepts and
of the legal order,
that is, of the legal
ordering of the
society. Roscoe Pound (1870-1964)
Distinguished American Legal Scholar
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8. What is Law ?
Law are the
prophecies of what
Courts will do in
fact, and nothing
more pretentious,
are what I mean by
the law. Holmes (1841-1935)
Noted American Jurist
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9. What is Law ?
Judges create a
rationally
integrated and
coherent network of
legal principles
which is law.
Ronald Dworkin (1931-2013)
Noted American Philosopher
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10. What is Law ?
Law consists of
authoritative
positivist
considerations
enforceable by the
courts.
Joseph Raz (1939-)
Israeli Philosopher
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11. Thanks...!
ganeshvisavale@gmail.com
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