On the record
They are structures which canalize action; they are active forces only as are banks which confine the flow of a stream, and are commands only in the sense in which the banks command the current.
Said by
John Dewey
Source
gutenberg.orgJohn Dewey: “They are structures which canalize action; they are active forces only as are banks which confine the flow of a stream…”
Editor's note · Context
Dewey compares laws to banks that guide and restrict actions, emphasizing their regulatory role.
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They are reflections into the singular human being of customs and institutions; they are not natural, that is, “native,” organic propensities.
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