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TOPIC: ISSUE178 - "It is possible to pass laws that control or place limits on people's behavior, but legislation cannot reform human nature. Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts and minds."


Human nature is largely determined by both inherited factors, i.e. genes and external influential points such as cultures or values, etc. Those non-gene determinants rooted for a long time, affect our human nature through the unawareness mechanism. After all, were no relevant criterions based on those external factors are established; any category for nature would make no sense. While laws can take effect on our minds through the intermediate mechanism, i.e. legislations help set up, cultivate and maintenance the mores and values, and indirectly change our idea toward the outside social context.

It is self-evident for restrictions of laws on citizens' behaviors. Men are social animals and that is why he or she has to obey the rules and orders of society. Therefore, it is essential to control human’ behaviors and put limits on them so that the complex social system operates well towards a better state of harmonization. Life is replete with examples to illustrate this point. Traffic laws provides the basic guarantees, acting as the first precautionary line, to prevent those potential traffic jams and accidents; In the realm of business, arbitrage and speculation in financial market, unfair competition among suppliers, fraudulence to customers and other illegal behaviors will rampant in the real world without the control of laws; it is also similar in academic circles. It is just the involvement of laws in terms of patents etc. that those behaviors against the conscience of scholars, such as plagiarism, deduction without permission, fabrication on experimental data or econometric results etc. are reduced greatly.

Meanwhile, with regards to the function of laws changing our minds or not, it is unfair to claim it serve nothing. Admittedly, it is not so apparent to observe the dramatic effects of laws on our behaviors than on our nature. However, the indirect influential mechanism is also unnegligible and even powerful. Before we classify someone into one kind of nature, relevant categorizing standard is necessary. The later is largely determined by our genetic elements, underneath awareness, as well as our recognition on social and moral values, which are actually can be affected by our legislation. It is understandable that laws helps citizens to tell right and wrong apart, to realize what the society worship and admire. Through the propaganda of law, citizens’ capabilities of cogitation are enhanced. Furthermore, legal sanction and punishment can also act as a siren, warning people to aware their behaviors and take responsibilities. Gradually, legislations, through the subconscious influencing mechanism, change individual minds and manners.

In conclusion, law is essential for citizens in all realms of our life, which guarantee the realization on freedom of each individual under the legal allowance in the democratic society. Through placing necessary restrictions, we human enjoy more freedom to make their own choice, the one really reflect their own wills, rather than under the coercion, fraudulence or other illegal behaviors. Meanwhile, legislative authority, even thought unobvious, while actually take effects on what we think subconsciously through the indirect mechanism, i.e. laws build the basic behavioral framework, within and being influenced by which people make further decision or response towards the complex social context. In closing, when applauding the positive effect of laws, we should also put into consideration that laws, to some extent, affect our perceptions. Therefore, it is highly recommended that legislators, lawmakers, as well as relevant authorities should update and improve our existing law system to promote the whole welfare of the public.