A Brief History of Rules: Why We Do It This Way and Not That Way

Rules govern almost every aspect of our lives. They determine our work hours, dictate how we drive and set the table, and organize our lives from birth to death. We may agree with rules, fight against them, or negotiate something entirely new, but no culture can do without them.

In A Brief History of Rules: Why We Do It This Way and Not That Way, historian Lorraine Duston traces the development and evolution of rules from ancient times to the present. She vividly illustrates how rules can change—how flexible rules become rigid or vice versa, and how once-obtrusive prescriptions become everyday norms. She explores when rules work and when they don’t, and why some philosophical problems with rules are as old as philosophy itself, while others are as modern as computers.