THEORY OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING - SOCIOLOGICAL JURISPRUDENCE
Introduction Auguste Comte (1798-1857), Founder of sociolog y defines it as “Science of Social order and rogress “! "e descri#ed t$e term “sociology% as a ositi&e science of social facts! Su#se'uently, Su#se'uently, riters and urist tried to find a lin* #eteen sociology and la! According to +u&itc$ t$e meeting oint of sociology and la is sociology of la! Sociological urisrudence studies la and in doing so it studies its relation it$ and imact on society $ereas sociology of la rimarily studies society and studies la only eri$erally! eri$erally! a and social institutions are not concerned it$ indi&iduals #ut it$ association of grou of eole! a is an instrument of social c$ange! Legal Sociologists : egard society as a $ole! .ncluding t$e art layed #y legal administration! .n #ringing o#ser&a#le atterns of #e$a&iour! egular alication of force! egular use of guides for determining disutes!
t$e tools of a layers trade! a #eing Sociological Jurists : Concerned it$ as and t$e ersecti&e! Considers t$eir function and functioning in society! society! a is a social $enomenon! THEORY OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING
oscoe /ound (1870 to 192) a 3urist from America e4lained t$e Social Social ngineering t$eory of 6alanced t$eory! "e is t$e fat$er of sociological urisrudence! "e introduced t$e doctrine of “Social ngineering% $ic$ aims at #uilding an efficient structure of society $ic$ ould result in t$e satisfaction of ma4imum of ants it$ t$e minimum of friction and a ste! .t in&ol&ed t$e re#alancing of cometing interests! $e t$eory ensured t$at ma*ing , interreting and alication of la it$ accordance it$ social fact! $is t$eory is also ca lled as functional t$eory or contractual t$eory or e4erimental urisrudence! .ts aims are e4licit and comre$ensi&e t$eory for all claims! .t e4lains accurate interretation of claims, interests and conflicts of interest and esecially legal relations$i! Pound deined t!e legal order "# reerence to t!e end o la$: % It &t!e legal order' (a# "e $ell t!oug!t o as a tas) or as a great series o tas)s o social engineering as an eli(ination and *recluding o $aste so ar as *ossi"le in t!e satisaction o ininite !u(an desires or o relati+el# inite store o t!e (aterials goods o e,istence-
According to /ound, a is Social S ocial ngineering! "e says t$at %li)e an engineer.s or(ulae/ la$s re*resent e,*erience/ scientiic or(ulations o e,*erience and logical de+elo*(ents o t!e or(ulations/ also in+enti+e s)ill in concei+ing ne$ de+ices and or(ulating t!eir “ $eory of Social re0uire(ents "# (eans o a de+elo*ed tec!ni0ue-1 "e called t$is t$eory as “$eory ngineering%! "ere /ound $as used to ords i!e! i!e! “Social means grou of indi&idual forming a society! $e second ord ord is “ngineering “ngineering $ic$ means means alied science science carried carried out #y engineers to roduce roduce finis$ed roducts $ic$ are necessary for t$e society and $ic$ fulfil all t$eir needs! 6y com#ining t$ese to ords $e tries to say a#ou t engineers and $at t$ey do! d o! $ey use t$e ‟
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formula $ic$ is #ased on continuous e4erimentation and e4erience to get t$e finis$ed roduct #y means of an instrument or de&ice! $erefore /ound reresents e4erience it$ la , instrument it$ organs of go&ernment, engineers it$ udge and layer and finis$ed roduct it$ t$e ants of $uman #eings and society it$ a factory ! "e says t$at li*e engineers, t$e layer s$ould aly la in a court room so t$at t$e desires of t$e eole are fulfilled! $erefore $e calls la as Social ngineering and says t$at t$e aim of Social ngineering is to #uild as efficient a structure of society as ossi#le $ic$ re'uires t$e satisfaction of ants it$ t$e minimum of friction and aste! .t means a s$ould or* for #alancing of cometing interest it$in t$e society for t$e greatest #enefit! ‟
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.n a society e&ery#ody is moti&ated #y t$eir on interest and ants t$at reference #e gi&en to $is or $er interest o&er t$e ot$er! Conflicts #eteen interests arise #ecause of t$e cometition of t$e indi&iduals it$ eac$ ot$er, it$ t$e u#lic in order to satisfy $uman ants! $erefore it is needed to recognise t$e interest to $ic$ la s$ould ta*e account! For t$is urose a legal system $as to i! ecognie certain interest ii! :efine t$e limits it$in $ic$ suc$ interest are to #e legally recognied and gi&en effect to it! iii! And finally t$e a#o&e interest s$ould #e secured! Suose . ant to stand first in t$e e4am! .t is my desire! 6ut t$is desire cannot #e fulfilled #ecause t$ere is no legal recognition as t$ere is no state s interest in standing first osition! $erefore la $as to ta*e into account t$e desires $ic$ need recognition! ‟
For t$e urose of satisfying $uman interests, /ound defined interest as claims or ants or desires $ic$ men assert de facto a#out $ic$ t$e la must do somet$ing if organised societies are to endure ! ‟
/ound classified &arious interests $ic$ are to #e rotected #y t$e la under t$ree categories $ic$ are t$e folloing; 21 IN3I4I35AL INTERESTS: $ese are claims or demands in&ol&ed from t$e stand oint of t$e indi&idual life $ic$ consists of interest of ersonality, interest in domestic relations and interest of su#stance! 61 P57LIC INTEREST: $ese are t$e claims or desires asserted #y t$e indi&idual from t$e stand oint of olitical life $ic$ means e&ery indi&idual in a society $as a resonsi#ility toards eac$ ot$er and to ma*e t$e use of t$ings $ic$ are oen to u#lic use! 81 SOCIAL INTEREST: $ese are t$e claims or demands in terms of social life $ic$ means to fulfil all t$e needs of a society as a $ole for t$e roer functioning and maintenance of it!
i*e t$e engineer t$e urist constructs, creates #ut not o ut of t$in air! i*e t$e engineer $e must or* it$ resisti&e materials it$out $ic$ $oe&er $e could not # uild at all and alays t$ere are ad&erse conditions imosed uon $is acti&ity! Friction and aste reresented #y a sacrifice of interests $ic$ mig$t #e secured, must #e o&ercome! $e tas* is one for $uman acti&ity, t$oug$ re'uiring met$odical acre, t$ere is ne&ert$eless not$ing static a#out it! ec$ni'ues and materials 2
must #e imro&ed! 3urist must or* on an e&er greater , e&er more ser&icea#le structure! $e engineering analogy stands out as #ot$ gra$ic and timely! Ho$ to e+aluate t!e conlicting interests in due order to *riorit#9 !at are t!e guidelines on t!e "asis o $!ic! social engineering s!ould "e carried out9
/ound s anser #y saying t$at e&ery society is #ased on #asic assumtions $ic$ $el in ordering of interest!
$us t$ese assumtions are identified as ural ostulates $ic$ are #ased o n $yot$esis! According to /ound, ural ostulates are not t$e a#solute one and t$ey *ee on c$anging as t$e needs of t$e situation, lace and time demands! .n 1919, /ound summarised t$e ostulates $ic$ e&ery indi&idual in ci&ilised society must #e a#le to ta*e it for granted t$at; i!
!et!er "alance "et$een Indi+idual and Social Interest can "e ac!ie+ed or not9 According to /ound, #alance of cometing interest means satisfaction of ma4imum interests it$ less friction and aste! .t means to reconcile and adust t$e social and indi&idual interest! 6ut in ractice to interests cannot #e #alanced! "ere, t$e “#alancing meta$or is misleading! .f to interests are to #e #alanced, t$at resuoses some scale or yardstic* to measure and to t$ings s$ould #e a#le for comarison! For #alancing of anyt$ing, mat$ematical calculation or ratio is t$e outcome! For e!g! in case of ecological #alance, t$e amount of C<> in terms of ? is to #e #alanced it$ <> $ic$ means reduction of C<> #y aforestation or increasing t$e le&el of <> #y aforestation so t$at ecological #alance can #e attained! $erefore #alance means to ugrade one t$ing at ar it$ ot$er so t$at neit$er of t$e to t$ings loses anyt$ing! ‟
As er /ounds t$eory, t$ere is a clause relating to t$e rotection of natural en&ironment co ming under social interest! $ere is no dou#t t$at e&ery society ants a $ealt$y en&ironment and t$e 3
factory roducing nuisances and ollution need s to #e closed! .t is in t$e interest of $ole u#lic for $ic$ factory is closed and t$e ma4imum satisfaction of eole is ac$ie&ed! 6ut t$e oner of t$e factory $a&ing .ndi&idual .nterest suffers a lot! .n t$is circumstance, t$oug$ ma4imum interest of t$e eole is satisfied it$ least sacrifice of indi&idual interest of t$e oner #ut #alance #eteen .ndi&idual and Social .nterest $as not #een ac$ie&ed #ecause one $as to suffer and ot$er $as to gain! @$en t$ere is a matrimonial disute #eteen a $us#and and ife and ife gets a di&orce decree against $er $us#and, in t$is case interest of ife re&ails o&er t$e $us#and and #alance of to .ndi&idual .nterests is not t$ere #ecause $us#and $as to gi&e maintenance to ife and c$ildren for $ic$ t$e $us#and suffers a lots! 4cetion is in case of :i&orce #y utual Consent in $ic$ #ot$ $us#and and ife are satisfied it$ di&orce decree and t$eir indi&idual interests are fulfilled!
Ho$ does t!e satisaction o t!e (a,i(u( o $ants $it! t!e (ini(u( o riction and $aste can "e done9 /ounds t$eory as*s for t$e ma4imum gain it$ least friction and aste i!e! ma4imum satisfaction of $uman ants or e4ectations it$ least sacrifice! "ere /ou nd ants to #ring social control in t$e society! According to $im social control means satisfaction of t$e ma4imum of ants of t$e $uman #eing in a society! /ound says t$at for social control, interest is t$e only t$ing $ic$ s$ould #e ta*en into account and a is a means of social control! $us la s$ould or* for #alancing of interest it$in t$e society i!e! satisfying ma4imum interest it$ least aste! Some$o t$is t$eory gi&es rime imortance to interest of u#lic at large o&er indi&idual interest and if interreted strictly t$en t$ey may result in eliminating indi&idual interest! "ere la is n ot suosed to deal it$ indi&idual interest #ut #unc$ of interest! $e tool is gi&en in t$e $ands of la to set t$em at t$eir rig$t osition for t$e ma4imum outcome! .t is true t$at la and order lays an imortant role in a society! a and order are carried out #y t$e 3udiciary and t$ey *ee on $armoniing t$e conflicting interests of t$e indi&idual and t$e u#lic t$roug$ t$e rocess of social engineering! B .t $as #een itnessed t$roug$ t$e action of Sureme Court in Vellore Citizen’s Welfare Forum Vs. The Union of India in $ic$ uldi Sing$ 3! deli&ered t$e udgment t$at “e&en if t$e industries are of &ital imortance for t$e countries rogress as t$ey ro&ides emloyment #ut $a&ing regard to t$e ollution caused #y $im, t$e rincile of sustaina#le de&eloment $as to #e adoted as a #alancing concet #eteen ecology and de&eloment%! .n t$is case t$e to rinciles emerged i!e! recautionary rincile and t$e /olluter /ays rincile! ‟
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B .n a land mar* case of Union Carbide Corporation vs. Union of India, t$e Sureme Court laid don t$e rule of A#solute ia#ility in $ic$ it as $eld t$at “$ere an enterrise is engaged in a $aardous or in$erently dangerous acti&ity and $arm results to anyone on account of an accident in t$e oeration of suc$ $aardous acti&ity, t$en t$e enterrise in&ol&ed is strictly and a#solutely lia#le to comensate to all t$ose $o are affected #y t$e accident%! .n t$is case regarding t$e comensation t$e Court said t$at t$e measure of comensation must #e correlated to t$e 4
magnitude and caacity of t$e enterrise #ecause suc$ comensation $as a deterrent effect for future accident! After t$is case, Central go&ernment assed an Act *non as $e 6$oa l +as ea* :isaster (egistration and /rocessing of Claims) Act, 1985 in $ic$ sec!5 of t$is Act says a#out t$e categoriation and registration of claims! $e &arious claims of t$e eac$ indi&idual relating to t$eir on #ody, roerty and t$e claims arising from damage to flora and fauna ere registered! Dnder sec!11 of t$is Act, t$e 'uantum of comensation aya#le to t$e claimants as decided! ‟
From t$is udgment it can #e said t$at la gi&es first riority to social interest o&er indi&idual interest of su#stance i!e! in conser&ing natural resources and in t$e rotection of natural en&ironment $ic$ is re'uired #y t$e $ole u#lic against t$e ri&ate indi&idual $o is t$e oner of t$e enterrise! Finally t$e ma4imum claims of t$e eole ere satisfied it$ least sacrifice of indi&idual interest! 6y t$is act it can #e seen t$at $o &arious claims ere categoried and comensation ere gi&en, $ic$ ultimately says t$at la is an instrument of social c$ange! B .n Deepa vs. S.I of Polie .t as $eld t$at t$e interest of society s$ould #e gi&en aramount consideration o&er t$e indi&idual interest of t$ose $o are running t$e s$o for rofit and $o are also earning li&eli$ood #y erforming t$e ca#aret dance in a $otel! .t as a situation $ere t$e $ole u#lic says t$at t$e dance as o#scene in t$e eyes of onloo*ers, $ic$ is an offence uEs >92 of ./C 180! "ence it is found t$at Social .nterest re&ails o&er t$e .ndi&idual .nterest! 6ut t$is is not true in many cases! Social ngineering deals it$ as many satisfactions of $uman ants $ic$ means la s$ould lay an imortant role in #ringing social c$ange #y fulfilling t$e interest of t$e society as a $ole! $ere are also instances $ere indi&idual interest $as riority o&er social interest! B According to Sec 1>> of &idence Act 187>, marital communication #eteen $us#and and ife $ic$ is an indi&idual interest in domestic relation are ri&ileged! $en S ocial .nterest can #e fulfilled #y securing ri&ilege communication (matrimonial communication) in $ic$ indi&idual interest in connection it$ domestic relation is first ri&ileged and $ic$ in turn secure t$e social institution of marriages! B a $as gi&en reference to t$e interest of #ac*ard classes t$roug$ reser&ation in go&ernment o#s, educational institutions, $ic$ not only $amers t$e interest of eligi#le candidate #ut also it $amers t$e interest of t$e u#lic at large! 6y t$is tye of la general eole cannot tell t$at t$is reser&ation olicy $ic$ comes under constitutional la is a #ad la for t$em! Sometimes #ad la #ecomes good la! "ere a $els in social engineering #y gi&ing secial rotection to t$e minority class $a&ing indi&idual interests o&er social interests so t$at t$ere can #e ultimate social rogress #y #ringing t$e minority class e'ually to t$e standard of uer class! CRITICIS; AGAINST PO5N3.S THEORY:
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/ound oint out t$e resonsi#ilities of t$e udge an d t$e layer! /ounds contri#ution to urisrudence is great! "e ta*es a middle ay a&oiding all e4aggeration! "e sea*s of &alue #ut says t$at t$ey are relati&e! "e em$asises engineering #u t does not forget t$e tas* of maintaining of #alance !$is aroac$ is e4erimental! /ounds t$eory stands on a ractical and firm ground and it $as insired great ractical field or*! "is em$asis on studying t$e actual or*ing of legal rules in t$e society, t$e imortance of social researc$ for good-la ma*ing and ointing out t$e great constructi&e function $ic$ t$e la is to erform are &ery &alua#le contri#utions to urisrudence! "e oint out t$e resonsi#ility of t$e layer, t$e udge and t$e urist and gi&es a comre$ensi&e icture of t$e scoe and field of t$e su#ect! /oundGs influence on modern legal t$oug$t is great and t$e study of t$e su#ect is #eing underta*en under t$e lig$t of $is t$eory! :esite oundGs great contri#ution to sociological urisrudence and $is em$asis on studying t$e actual or*ing of la in t$e society, $is t$eory suffers from certain dra#ac*s! /ounds t$eory of social engineering $as #een criticised on &arious grounds! .t is contended t$at t$e classification of interests #y ound is in t$e nature of a catalogue to $ic$ additions and c$anges $a&e constantly to #e made $ic$ is neutral as regards t$e relati&e &alue and riority of t$e interest enumerated! /oundGs t$eory of social engineering $as #een criticised for t$e use of t$e term engineering, $ic$ e'uates society to a factory li*e mec$anism! a is a social rocess rat$er t$an t$e result of an alied engineering! 'uating society it$ a factory is also not correct #ecause t$e former is c$ anging and dynamic in nature $ereas t$e latter is more or less static! Again , oundGs em$asis on engineering ignores t$e fact t$at la e&ol&es and de&elos in t$e society according to social needs and ants for $ic$ la may eit$er $a&e de&elos in t$e society according to social needs and ants for $ic$ la may eit$er $a&e aro#ation or disaro#ation! :r! Allen $as criticised t$e utilitarian in oundGs t$eory as it confines t$e interretation of ants and desires to any material elfare of indi&idualGs life comletely ignoring t$e ersonal freedoms $ic$ are e'ually imortant for a $ay social li&ing! .t $as also #een argued against oundGs t$eory of interests t$at it $as no significance in a luralistic society $ere t$ere are linguistic, et$ics, and religious minorities $a&ing di&erse interests! "armoniing t$eir di&ergent interests is #y no means an easy tas* to #e erformed t$roug$ la and courts! A general criticism against oundGs t$eory is regarding $is use of t$e ord HengineeringG, #ecause it suggest a mec$anical alication of t$e rincile to social needs, t$e ord “engineering% is used #y ound meta$orically to indicate t$e ro#lems $ic$ t$e la $as to face, t$e o#ecti&es $ic$ it $as to fulfil and t$e met$od $ic$ it ill $a&e to adot for t$is uroses! /ound does not gi&e an ideal scale of &alues it$ reference to interests! .n fact ounds $imself $as admitted t$at $iloso$y $as failed to ro&ide an ideal scale of &alues and t$at t$e #est t$at urist can do is to roceed it$ t$e tas* of adating la to t$e needs of $is generalisation t$e c$oice #eteen conflicting ideologies is one for t$e community at large! Anot$er criticism against $is t$eory is t$at em$asis on engineering ignores an imortant art of la $ic$ de&elos and e&ol&es in t$e society according to social needs t$e la simly recognises or aro&es it! $is dynamic feature of la is undermined!
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/ound $imself $as inserted a certain e&aluation #y descri#ing t$e interest in indi&idual life as t$e most imortant of all! "oe&er, t$ere is a danger of an imlicit e&aluation in t$e grading of interests as indi&idual, u#lic or social! @$at is an indi&idual and $at is a social interest is itself a matter of c$anging olitical concetions! any interests come under different categories! According to rof! Fite t$ere is no o#ligation to resect t$e ersonal interests of t$ose $o e&ade t$e resonsi#ility of standing for t$emsel&es !t$is attitude results in t$e ressure grou t$eory of go&ernment $ic$ sees t$e legislature as a scene of struggle #eteen cometing interests and t$e ca#inet as made u of t$e reresentati&e of &arious classes! /ounds t$eory s$ifts t$e centre of gra&ity in t$e legal order from legislation to court udgements, #ut t$e udiciary $as its decisions and t$erefore cannot really do effecti&e social engineering! 3ustice can gi&e ad $oc udgements on secific issues coming u #efore t$em #ut t$ey cannot frame a #road lan for restructuring society ! of course, a udge can focus attention on a ressing social ro#lem and t$roug$ $is udgement can create a modern legal rincile or suggest some alteration in t$e la, #ut $e cannot do $at t$e legislature can do! 3ustice it$out la can result in total lalessness and ar#itrariness! $e rule of la, t$at is, t$e &ie t$at decisions s$ould #e made #y t$e alication of *non rules and rinciles, as a great ac$ie&ement of ositi&ist urisrudence! o a#andon it ould #e a retrograde ste! /rof! :ias oints out t$at ounds engineering a nalogy is at to mislead! @$at, for instance, is t$e “aste and friction% in relation to t$e conflict of interestsI Furt$er, t$e construction, for e4amle of a #ridge, is guided #y a lan of t$e finis$ed roduct and t$e stresses and strains to #e alloed to eac$ art are or*ed out it$ a &ie to roducing t$e #est #ridge of t$at *ind in t$at lace! 6ut it$ la t$ere can #e no lan, or*ed out in detail, of any finis$ed roduct, for society is constantly de&eloing and c$anging and t$e ressures #e$ind interests are c$anging too! $erefore, t$e &alue or imortance to #e allotted to eac$ interest cannot #e redetermined! :ias also oint out t$at ound assumed t$at de facto claims re-e4ist las $ic$ are re'uired to “ do somet$ing% a#out t$em! :ias oints out t$at alt$oug$ ound did not ignore ideals of guidance, $e de&oted too little attention to t$em! "is aareness of t$em is e&ident in $is distinction #eteen “natural la% and “ositi&e natural la% ! According to $im, t$e former is “a rationally concei&ed icture of ustice and an ideal relation among men, of t$e legal order as a rationally concei&ed means of romoting and maintaining t$at relation, and of legal recets as rationally concei&ed ideal instruments of ma*ing t$e legal order effecti&e for its ideal end%! $e latter is% a system of logically deri&ed uni&ersal legal recets s$aed to t$e e4erience of t$e ast, ostulated as caa#le of formulation to t$e e4igencies of uni&ersal ro#lems and so ta*en to gi&e legal recets of uni&ersal &alidity!G $e &ie of :ias is t$at it ould $a&e #een refera#le if ound $ad enlarged on t$e criteria of e&aluating interests instead of de&eloing articular interests! $is or* $as not muc$ ractical imact on account of $is sterile reoccuation it$ interests and too little attention to t$e criteria of e&aluation! CONCL5SION:
6y analysing t$is aer it is concluded t$at, a lays an imortant role in reconciling and adusting conflict of interests! 6ot$ t$e Social .nterest and .ndi&idual .nterest re&ail o&er eac$ ot$er! /riority is gi&en to #ot$ t$e interests! oscoe /ound $as gi&en t$e concet of Social 7
ngineering for t$e American Society #ut t$is concet is folloed #y ot$er co untries in resol&ing disutes! .ndia $as also folloed t$e same conce t in esta#lis$ing a elfare society! 6ot$ 3udiciary and egislators lay an imortant role in enacting t$e statutes $ic$ fulfil t$e &arious desires of $uman #eing! .n t$is tec$sa&&y society desires of $uman #eing gros and to fulfil t$eir desires ne olicies, strategy $as #een de&eloed!
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