Social rule – legal rule

Abstract

Although the distinction between rule as a legal mandate and rule as a social regulation is clear from an analytical point of view, that distinction is often difficult from a practical perspective. This article aims to explore these difficulties and it shows how they have to do with the fact that in social life three regulatory systems converge: the legal, the moral and the social systems. A specific sanction belongs to each of these systems: a strictly speaking sanction (fine, jail, etc.) to the legal rule; the fault to the moral rule and the shame to the social/cultural rule. However, in practice, strong connections among the three systems exist.