law of the jungle

Etymology
Introduced by in his 1894 book, , in which he used the term in the literal sense of a legal code governing the behaviour of his anthropomorphised animals in an Indian jungle.

Note also the (possibly derived) colloquial sense of.

Noun

 * 1)  A putative law dictating that one serves one's own interest to the extent that one can, in any situation where legal authority is absent or generally ignored; self-interested behaviour that emerges in the absence of law; lawlessness.
 * 2) * 1938, Proceedings of the Sixth Conference of Teachers of International Law and Related Subjects,, page 111,
 * In the next war there will be no international law or 'comity of nations' but merely the law of the jungle, and of primeval man—each for himself and the devil take the next man.
 * 1) * 1983, The Law of the Sea, School of Law, Duke University, page 57,
 * To bring order to this law of the jungle at sea was a particular reason for the Law of the Sea Conference, especially insofar as the United States was concerned.
 * 1) * 1988, The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in Southeast Asia: Problems of Implementation, Volume 1, Southeast Asian Programme on Ocean Law, Policy, and Management, page 2,
 * For small countries such as Singapore, they would have the most to lose if the law of the jungle were to prevail.
 * 1) * 1988, The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in Southeast Asia: Problems of Implementation, Volume 1, Southeast Asian Programme on Ocean Law, Policy, and Management, page 2,
 * For small countries such as Singapore, they would have the most to lose if the law of the jungle were to prevail.

Translations

 * Arabic: شريعَة الغاب, قانون الغابَة
 * Finnish: viidakon laki
 * French: ,
 * Galician: lei da selva
 * Hungarian: a dzsungel törvénye, farkasok törvénye, farkastörvény
 * Italian: legge della giungla
 * Japanese:
 * Korean:
 * Polish:, prawo pięści, wilcze prawo
 * Portuguese: lei da selva
 * Romanian: legea junglei
 * Russian:
 * Spanish: ley de la selva
 * Swedish: djungelns lag