This text is not designed for purposes of vocational or professional education. On the contrary, it is designed for general education. It aims to contribute the general understanding of law, its institutions, its concepts, its history, its philosophy, its principles and its processes. So, it may be useful in general education survey courses on the nature, functions, sources, systems, theories of law offered in high schools and universities. The experts claim that law can be studied not only as a professional subject, but also as a humanistic and liberal subject. For this reason every educated person should have some grasp of law. Indeed, general education is quite different from special education. It is because, general education is broad and liberal than vocational or professional one. On the contrary, special education is technical, so it teaches and prepares the students for a specific vocation or profession.
In Law Schools, of course, law is studied as a specialist’s subject- as preparation for a professional end. However, it cannot be argued that law cannot be also a subject for general education. As Alfred North Whitehead (The Aims of Education, 1967: 6) pointed out ‘…There is not only one course of study which merely gives general culture, and another which merely gives special knowledge. The subjects pursued for the sake of general education are special.’ Thus, such a kind of education needs to study some concepts, principles, theories, and institutions of special education. Studies on law is the main exception of this necessity. Because studying on law and an understanding of the nature of the legal order, legal institutions, legal concepts, legal philosophy, legal principles, and legal reasoning have significant cultural value in itself. So, an understanding of law is essential to an understanding of the values of the society and of the international community. Further, the study of law is an important instrument for developing the student’s sense of justice and their ability for responsible judgment; and the study of law is also an important instrument in the training of students for the responsibilities of social, cultural, economic and political activities.
If law is a minimal social necessity, it is actually important both to society and to the members and the students of the society. Because it helps to promote health, including a healthful environment. It reinforces a good family life and family ties. It secures private lives of the individuals. To keep order and peace in the society, to protect individual rights and freedoms, to minimize every kind of unjust inequalities in the society may only be realize by law. So, if men and societies use law in such ways and purposes, its ultimate function is facilitative and useful, not restrictive or prohibitive.
In order to make suitable for use in one-semester three-hour courses, the notes are organized around six central themes. Part One is on Man and Society which examines the social order rules that we can observe nearly all over the world. Part Two is on Law which discusses the role and significance of law, particularly in the light of its purposes, history, philosophy, theories and systems. In this part, the sources of law, the types and interpretation of the legal rules and their methods are also examined. Part Three is on Branches of Public Law discusses Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Criminal Law, Civil and Criminal Procedural Law, Public International Law, Tax Law, Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law. Part Four is on Branches Of Private Law introduces the fundamental characteristics and contents of Civil Law, Family Law, Law of Succession, Law of Property, Law of Obligations, Commercial Law and Private International Law. Part Five discusses on Branches of Mixed Character Law examines Intellectual Property Law which covers Patent Law, Industrial Designs, Geographical Indicia, Trademark, Copyright Law. In this part Competition Law, Consumer Protection Law, Labor Law and Environmental Law are also discussed.
