The
rule of law is the legal principle that law should govern a nation, as opposed to being governed by arbitrary decisions of individual government officials. It primarily refers to the influence and authority of
law within society, particularly as a constraint upon behavior, including behavior of government officials. The phrase can be traced back to 16th century Britain, and in the following century the Scottish theologian
Samuel Rutherford used the phrase in his argument against the
divine right of kings. The rule of law was further popularized in the 19th century by British jurist
A. V. Dicey. The concept, if not the phrase, was familiar to ancient philosophers such as
Aristotle, who wrote "Law should govern".