law of nature—(also: natural law)
1. is used to refer to a particular phenomenon always occurring if certain conditions are present:
- A fundamental law of nature must capture a causeand-effect relation about the workings of the real world.
2. is used of ideas, etc. as implanted by nature in the human mind:
- Right libertarians are not alone in claiming that their particular ideology is based on the law of nature.
law of the jungle —(also: jungle law) the superiority of brute force or self-interest in the ruthless struggle for survival:
- A purely materialistic society inevitably succumbs to the law of the jungle and political dictatorship.