Society is based on rules and laws. If individuals were free to do whatever they want to do, it could not function. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above statement?

Many believe that the rule of law is the only reason society does not descend into anarchy. I am in agreement as idealistic, revisionist views of human nature do not take into account the full pre-history of humanity. Those who have a more hopeful view of mankind argue the modern progression towards compassion and tolerance. Humans are not necessarily violent and prone to criminal activity. The

last

hundred years

has

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seen tremendous advances in areas ranging from civil rights to voting to more inclusive social policies. There is

therefore

a chance that even if society removed or reduced laws governing behaviour, individuals would continue to behave responsibly out of a renewed understanding of what it can mean to be human. These claims are bolstered by the existence of certain small communities in isolation where there is relatively little or no crime.

However

, modern values are the product of

a

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refinement of humanity over centuries that still requires reinforcement. The laws against violent crimes,

for example

, were enforced with brutal penalties for thousands of years in countries around the world. Only in the

last

two hundred years, have most nations reformed punishments to be either imprisonment or fines. The harsher penalties of the distant past might be outdated, but the current ones still deter potential criminals. The best evidence of

this

is that people today still attempt to commit crimes despite advances in forensic science and nearly ubiquitous surveillance cameras. It takes little imagination to see realise many more would lean towards breaking the rules in the absence of punishments altogether. In conclusion, laws and regulations are crucial barriers to the excesses of human nature and cannot be wished away with a good conscience.

This

does not,

however

, imply they must be unnecessarily strict.