Herbert Hart

Herbert Hart was a prominent legal philosopher known for his work on the philosophy of law and political obligation. He argued that laws are systems of rules that govern society and that individuals have a moral duty to obey these laws when they are grounded in fairness. Hart distinguished between "primary rules" (which tell people what to do) and "secondary rules" (which help people understand how to create, change, and enforce laws). He emphasized that law is not just about commands from authority but involves social practices where people recognize and follow rules for a functioning society.