[REVISE]It is possible to pass laws that control or place limits on people's behavior

[legendren]

"It is possible to pass laws that control or place limits on people's behavior, but legislation cannot reform human nature. Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts and minds."

 

While it seriously comes to the function of laws and legislation, the vast majority, also include me, hold the view that laws can control people¡¯s behavior; human nature and people¡¯s hearts and minds can not mere be reformed or changed by legislation and laws, can be reflected by them however.

 

Controllable and reflectible as legislation and laws are, but we may not overlook their negative influence upon human nature and people¡¯s hearts and minds. The punishment of legislation and laws in ancient China, and other parts of the world had the similar situation, was so cruel and inhuman that had bad effects on human nature, more and more abnormal punish methods had been invented by the eunuch who lost humanity. A persuadable instance took place in XiHan dynasty cited is that Si maqian, the author of ¡°ShiJi¡± (a literature preserved more than 3,000 years history), given castration, lost the right to be a man and even disturbed his normal life, due to his explanation for a military leader who surrendered to the enemy. This statement illustrates the point that over punishment of laws influence negatively human nature and even destory people¡¯s hearts and minds without maintenace.

 

Too emphasis attatched to the negative influence of laws and legislation may obscure the positive advantage of laws that control or place limits on people¡¯s behavior. Without a doubt, Laws and legislation play an essential role in maintaining stableness and development of society. Without the control and limits on people¡¯s behavior, there would be more and more crime, terrorist and other criminal issues that turn stable and comfortable society into disturbed and unstable one. ¡°As the reflection of human nature and people¡¯s hearts and minds¡±, Confucius, as the father of Confucian, once said (and I paraphrase), ¡°laws and legislation give people a comfortable life.¡± This presentment shows that it is possible and necessary to support laws that positively control and place limits on people¡¯s behavior.

 

Simply argue, laws and legislation can reflect human nature and people¡¯s hearts and minds, can not reform or change them, however. Owing to laws ought to be legislated by human beings, more or less legislation should concerns about human nature that can reflect people¡¯s hearts and minds. As a Chinese old saying goes, ¡°It is easy to reform the government and other insititutuion, but difficult to change people¡¯s hearts and minds.¡±

 

Judging from what we discuss above, we could come to the conclusion simply and safely that laws that control or place limits on people¡¯s behavior are able to clearly reflect human nature and people¡¯s hearts and minds.