Justice on Paper: The Best Books on Law
Law (or legal sciences) could be defined as a series of principles and norms, generally inspired by ideas of justice and order, that regulate human conduct in any democratic society, and whose compliance can be enforced coercively or through public authority. Since there is no agreed-upon definition of the term, it can be considered both a science and an art.
Law is one of the oldest disciplines of civilization, and it has evolved over the years, depending on the place and context. As a practice, it is closely related to areas such as history, politics, sociology, economics, and philosophy. To better understand the full spectrum, we invite you to consult our list of the best books on law.
Best books on law
The Prince (2019), by Niccolo Machiavelli
This book, first written in 1513 and published posthumously, is a political treatise the author created to advise—and, in a veiled manner, request work from—Lorenzo de Médici. His words, so relevant today as in their genesis, They show the qualities that a good ruler should have. The volume is excellent for any law student who wants to understand politics.
Despite the almost exotic use of the writer's name to refer to a deceptive or cunning behavior —see the term "Machiavellianism"—, This remains an essential text that seeks to teach monarchs those ideas that, carried out consciously, could lead them and their people to effective coexistence.
Quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli
- "The prince must make himself feared so that if he is unable to win the love of the people, he will be able to avoid hatred."
- "Men are driven primarily by two impulses: either by love or by fear."
- "The first method to evaluate the intelligence of a ruler is to observe the men who surround him."
The Leviathan (1651), by Thomas Hobbes
In this classic, The author creates a raw and uncensored painting of the human condition., which he describes as selfish, competitive, and fearful of a violent death. For him, that's the reality we all live in, constantly fighting a bitter battle for survival. But is that all there is to it? Is there nothing else in who we are that can save us?
According to the writer, there exists, and it is nothing more and nothing less than, a powerful government, made up of people elected by the majority of the people, to whom they can cede most of their rights, hoping that their representatives will make the State a panacea, or at least a decent place to live.
Quotes by Thomas Hobbes
- "The basis of all great and lasting societies has consisted not in the mutual will that men had for each other, but in their mutual fear."
- "A free man is one who, having the strength and talent to do something, finds no obstacles to his will."
- "In war, force and fraud are the two cardinal virtues."
The Spirit of the Laws (1748), by Baron de Montesquieu
This is one of the most revealing texts of the Enlightenment period., where the French author discusses three fundamental concepts within law: executive power, legislative power, and judicial power, and, above all, the way these three concepts interact with each other. Montesquieu, as critical as ever, advocates for balance and the division of powers.
The idea is that each of the three controls the others, while simultaneously controlling each other. Although it may seem redundant, this theory of separation of powers has not only survived to this day, but It is used in every democratic and sovereign country in the world, and his law students, lawyers and anyone who wants to understand how a State is composed, should read it.
Quotes by Baron de Montesquieu
- "When men promise a woman that they will love her, they always assume that she promises to always be kind to them."
- "People who have little to do are usually very talkative: the more they think and act, the less they talk."
- "Customs make laws, women make customs; women, then, make laws."
The social contract (1762), by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
In his book, The French philosopher and politician addresses the equality and freedom of human beings within a state formed through a "social contract." This is understood as the exercise of sovereignty of each individual, of the collective, and, ultimately, of a country. The work was supposed to consist of four books, but it is an unfinished project that Rousseau abandoned.
Throughout history, there have been revolutionary books that have changed the world, transforming the way we see ourselves and our society. This is the case with The social contract, a work in which its author fiercely defended the freedom of the human species, and which served, among other things, to light the fuse of the French Revolution.
Quotes by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- "Childhood has its own ways of seeing, thinking, and feeling; nothing is more foolish than trying to replace them with our own."
- "Equality in wealth should consist in no citizen being so wealthy that he can buy another, nor so poor that he is forced to sell himself."
- "All passions are good as long as one is master of them, and all are bad when they enslave us."
Of crimes and punishments (2014), by Cesare de Beccaria and Voltaire
This is another example of a work that transformed the laws of its time, influencing the future of international law. In this case, the Italian philosopher and jurist exposes the characteristics and flaws of judicial legislation at the time this text was written. The author proposed several improvements, many of which were successfully adapted to existing processes.
In fact, the influence of the writer and this work on legal practice was extraordinary, as it reflected, to a greater or lesser extent, the new criminal legislation of the main reformers. Similarly, This is a passionate plea against the death penalty, torture and the disproportion between the crimes committed and the sentences imposed.
Quotes by Voltaire
- "It is forbidden to kill; therefore, all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets."
- "To be successful in the world, it's not enough to be stupid, you also have to be polite."
- "Self-love, like the mechanism of reproduction of the human race, is necessary, it gives us pleasure, and we must hide it."
Democracy in America (1835), by Alexis de Tocqueville
This is a great portrait of American society of its time.This work, precisely, is the material on which the democratic state of that country is based—or should be based—reflecting how its institutions function, which are a product of the customs of its inhabitants and the daily life of the United States.
It all began with a trip Tocqueville made to North America to seek information on reforms to its prison system. Unbeknownst to him, The author created what became one of the most essential books in political theory and historical interpretation of contemporary times. What makes it a classic is its unique combination of observation, generalization, and intuition.
Quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville
- "Society is in danger not because of the waste of a few, but because of the moral laxity of all."
- "Freedom cannot be founded on inequality; therefore, it must be based on the democratic reality of equal conditions."
- "Democracies are the most appropriate forms of governing a peaceful society."
- "You have to get used to living with your enemies, because you can't make everyone your friend."
The soul of the toga (2007), by Ángel Ossorio
Finally, we have a book that every future lawyer should read, a text that encompasses various essays that question the moral, ethical, and civic integrity of jurists. This, An invitation from the author to delve into the most human sense of the legal profession, was written after Ossorio had been in practice for twenty-five years. With that background under his belt, he embarked on a clear and calm explanation.
In short, The soul of the toga It is a manual of everything that a good lawyer should be and do.: from how a law firm is formed and managed to the basic, complex, and more elaborate concepts of the precious art of law.
Quotes by Ángel Ossorio
- "A true lawyer would be someone who practices the profession by giving legal advice and seeking justice."
- "The toga, then, is not in itself a quality, and when there are no true qualities beneath it, it is reduced to a derisory disguise."
- "Being a lawyer goes beyond just receiving a law degree."
