For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack
Kipling’s philosophy of life was based upon the concept of `The Law’ – a set of principles that people must maintain if they want to live in a civilized society. `The Law’ is best expressed in “The Jungle Books”, which remain the most popular of Kipling’s works. The cardinal principle of ‘The Law’ is self-reliance: “Remember the Wolf is a hunter – go forth and get food of your own” .
But to be independent, people must maintain a society that fosters individual freedom, and this implies certain obligations to society.:”For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.” These obligations include respect for the law itself, regard for the institutions and procedures of society, deference to representatives and leaders, consideration for the similar rights of others, a commitment not to take the law into your own hands, and responsibility to help the weak and disadvantaged. These obligations, which people must accept to lead a civilized life in a free society, are superbly stated in ‘The Law of the Jungle’. The converse responsibilities are those of the leaders towards the led, the theme of ‘Norman and Saxon’, which offers sound advice on good management relations anywhere.
Kipling’s social and political commentaries cover an enormous range of topics. Among those presented in this selection, ‘The Dykes’ brings home the cost of being unprepared for war; ‘Dane-Geld’ shows the folly of giving in to terrorists’ demands; ‘The Truce of the Bear’ bids us to distrust an armed adversary. These and the other poems included in this section present points of view that are relevant to our day and age, and do it with Kipling’s remarkable powers of expression.