Selfishness and altruism in law

The author considers law as a social phenomenon. The article notes that the basic human values are the same for all regulators: justice, freedom, dignity and others. An excerpt from the work of Jack London illustrating the confrontation between selfishness and altruism is cited. Legal forms of altruism and selfishness in law are considered, which proves the direct influence of these categories on the mechanism of legal regulation. In conclusion, the author notes the possibility of using ethological techniques in legal research.