Wolves, Morality and the Law
The law is the universal moral backbone of society; we, human beings, need the law for the same reason we need morality. Because of how we evolved as a species, we are the only beings whose drive for pleasure and violence would quickly lead to the eradication of our species absent an ever-present spirit of constraint brought about by the existence of morals.
Human beings have malice aforethought — in other words, we possess the unique characteristic of — maliciously — inflicting suffering upon others in a pre-planned fashion. Often times, an act of conciliation or admission of defeat originating from the target of such malice is not enough to satisfy a human being. There is an inherent sensitivity in human beings — a sense that, if we were to exercise this tendency of ours without restraint, it would quickly result in the eradication of all humans.
That is why we need morality, the law, and why our species alone has developed these things — wolves don’t need morality to prevent themselves from eradicating their pack/ species; which is why they didn’t develop morality. When wolves quarrel, they do so out of instinct and for reasons that are often the “least condemnable” as per the human judicial system — for self-defense, due to a loss of temper, a mistake in communication or a territorial dispute. Once an adversary shows signs of submission, rarely will the dispute continue, and never will any sort of long-lasting grudge be established.
The need for evidence, grounds, and justification is but our attempt at self-preservation as a species; it is the only way we can be protected from ourselves. Our need for a sense of justice, let alone a system of justice, is a reflection of human nature. That which distinguishes us from all other animals is as much a horror as it is a demonstration of grandeur, and that’s something we need to come to terms with if we are to understand what it means to be human.