H.L.A. Hart (legal philosopher)

H.L.A. Hart was a prominent legal philosopher who analyzed how laws function in society. He argued that laws consist of rules that guide behavior, including primary rules (telling us what we can or cannot do) and secondary rules (which create, change, or interpret primary rules). Hart emphasized that a successful legal system depends on a rule of recognition—an accepted set of criteria that identifies valid laws. His work helped shape modern understanding of law as a system of rules, balancing official statutes with social practices, and highlighted the importance of legal authority and consistency for social order.