How we cite our quotes: Section.Part (if applicable).Paragraph
Quote #1
Is it any crime, after a shipwreck, to seize whatever means or instrument of safety one can lay hold of, without regard to former limitations of property? (III.I.8)
There's no doubt that justice is an important social virtue. Where'd we be without it? Well, we only have to look at a situation such as a shipwreck to get a taste of a justice-free world. When justice breaks down, self-preservation takes hold and it's dog-eat-dog (just check out Lord of the Flies).
Quote #2
Suppose that several families unite together into one society, which is totally disjoined from all others [...] But again suppose, that several distinct societies maintain a kind of intercourse for mutual convenience and advantage, the boundaries of justice still grow larger, in proportion to the largeness of men's views, and the force of their mutual connexions. (III.I.21)
As this quote shows, society isn't something that just springs up overnight. It's much more gradual and starts out on a small scale with families/small groups thinking "hey, how about we work together?" As time goes on, the network gets wider and, lo and behold, we have a fully-fledged society. If people didn't find it useful, it wouldn't have a reason to exist.
Quote #3
Sometimes the interests of society may require a rule of justice in a particular case; but may not determine any particular rule, among several, which are all equally beneficial. In that case, the slightest analogies are laid hold of, in order to prevent that indifference and ambiguity, which would be the source of perpetual dissension [...] Many of the reasonings of lawyers are of this analogical nature, and depend on very slight connexions of the imagination. (III.II.10)
Justice may be clear-cut in some cases but this isn't always how it goes. Sometimes, we may know that some kind of rule is needed but we're not sure exactly what it should be. It could be that various rules would fit the bill, so how do we decide which to pick? There's no simple answer to this, so folks may find themselves clutching at any analogy that fits the bill and puts an end to all the confusion and debate.