THE AUTHOR POINTS OUT THE NUMBER AND COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH LAW, PROBLEMS WHICH ARE OFTEN DISREGARDED BY THE TRADITIONAL STATE AND LAW THEORY. PODGORECKI GOES ON TO DISCUSS THE BASIC THEORETICAL CONCEPTS - INCLUDING ANOMIE, CONFORMITY, LEGALISM, THE LEGAL NORM - WHICH ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF LAW. HE ALSO EXAMINES SOME ESSENTIAL PROBLEMS CONCERNED WITH THE POLITICS OF LAW. FINALLY, THE AUTHOR PROPOSES A NEW DEFINITION OF THE LAW, AND OFFERS A MORE PRECISE CONCEPTUAL NETWORK WHICH ENCOMPASSES ALL POSSIBLE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE LAW IN SOCIETY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)