law of the jungle
Might makes right
The law of the jungle is the principle that in nature—or in unregulated human affairs—survival depends on strength and ruthlessness.
The strong prevail; the weak perish.
The phrase suggests a world without civilized rules or moral restraint: It's law of the jungle out there—every man for himself.
Despite the Darwinian overtones, the phrase was popularized by Kipling's *Jungle Book*, where it actually describes a code of mutual obligation among wolves.
- free-for-allUnregulated group conflict
- natural lawInherent moral principles
- social DarwinismMisapplied natural selection to society
- outlawryStatus of declared criminal
- survival of the fittestAdaptive advantage perpetuates species
kill or be killed · every man for himself · winner takes all · adaptation · natural selection · food chain · tyranny · dog-eat-dog · dominance · hierarchy · pecking order · survival · aggression · exploitation · struggle · evolutionary theory · predation · tooth and claw
law of the junglerule of law
Supremacy of established laws
civil society · social contract · due process · constitutional order · legal system
law of the junglegolden rule
Fundamental operating principle
mutual aid · cooperation · altruism · ubuntu · compassion
law of the jungleGolden Rule
Treat others as yourself
humanitarianism · compassion · ethics · morality · human rights
lawful, lawless, lawfully, lawlessness, lawyer, lawyers, outlaw, outlawed, bylaws