Retligt

Retligt is a term used in legal philosophy to describe a framework for law and governance that argues legal rules should be designed and applied to reflect the lived realities of people and communities. It emphasizes legitimacy derived from public understanding and acceptance, not merely from coercive enforcement, and it treats law as both a set of norms and a social practice.

Core principles of Retligt include procedural fairness, transparency, and the requirement that legal norms be justified in clear and accessible terms. Proportionality between the aims of a rule and the burdens it imposes is central, as is the idea that rules should be adaptable to changing social conditions without sacrificing core rights. Retligt also stresses the importance of aligning legislative design with social norms while safeguarding basic rights and ensuring that enforcement is predictable and accountable.

In practice, Retligt informs constitutional design, procedural reform, and administrative codification. It advocates for mechanisms that assess the social impact of rules, encourage feedback loops, and enable adjustments when laws no longer reflect lived reality. The approach is commonly discussed in comparative and interdisciplinary settings, drawing on insights from sociology, anthropology, and political theory to examine how law interacts with everyday life.

Critics argue that Retligt can verge on technocracy or conservatism, risking resistance to necessary change or to moral considerations not easily captured by data. Proponents respond that the framework seeks legitimacy and stability by demanding justification, inclusivity, and responsiveness in the creation and application of law.

The concept is primarily a topic in scholarly discourse and is sometimes invoked in hypothetical or fictional analyses to illustrate the connection between law, society, and power.