If it is a secular society...

If it is a secular society, the laws legislated through popular consent, exercised directly or indirectly, are implemented. No society exists, nor can exist, where the members are not bound to certain laws, obligations and duties. Determining the needs of life It is obvious that the main reason responsible for the legislation of laws and regulations is to meet the social needs of human life. But the question arises: What are these needs? How should they be determined?

These requirements should be, of course, directly or indirectly, susceptible to determination by man, however sketchy and general that determination may be. By the way, we are also confronted with the question of whether or not the human being can occasionally make errors in determining his duties and his means of attaining happiness. Are we to accept his estimations and judgments at their face value?

The majority of people in the so-called progressive world of ours consider human will and wish as the genuine and sufficient basis for legislation of laws. But since it is impossible that all individuals belonging to a nation should think in a similar manner, the consensus of the majority (i.e. 50 per cent +1) is, unavoidably, regarded as decisive. The opinions of the minority (i.e. 50 per cent -1) are ignored out of necessity, and it is deprived of any freedom of action altogether.

It cannot, however, be denied that human resolution and will is directly related to conditions of life. A wealthy person, who is provided with all necessities of life, cherishes a great number of fanciful desires that would never occur to the mind of a pauper. A hungry person who suffers from extreme hunger and who has lost his control only longs for food; whether it is delicious or not, whether it belongs to him or others, does not matter to him.

But an affluent person may be indifferent even when the most delicious foods are laid out on the table before him. During the period of prosperity, human beings conceive of more fancies than during hard times. In this way, the pattern of needs changes because of civil progress; while the previous needs of people are satisfied with the march of civilization new needs are generated which replace the old ones.

With this change in conditions, people outgrow certain laws and need new laws or demand amendments to the old ones. In this way, among the living nations of the world, new laws always replace worn-out laws.