1875. The author examines the customs out of which the law has developed. He explains in the introduction that all laws float in men's minds long before they send down a precipitate of imperative words. For example, it must have been understood by men that theft-the act of taking the property of another without his consent-was wrong before they made a law to punish the thief, with the view of preventing similar depredations. But long before men made a law they had bolts to their doors, and if they caught the robber they ...
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1875. The author examines the customs out of which the law has developed. He explains in the introduction that all laws float in men's minds long before they send down a precipitate of imperative words. For example, it must have been understood by men that theft-the act of taking the property of another without his consent-was wrong before they made a law to punish the thief, with the view of preventing similar depredations. But long before men made a law they had bolts to their doors, and if they caught the robber they exercised their right by taking his booty from him and possibly even by inflicting upon him a vengeful punishment. This was not done by one man but by many, and we see in it the embryonic custom out of which the law has developed.
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