Isn't the purpose of the law to shape society into what we collectively think it should be like? Under this reading, the mechanics of how you choose what to pu

Isn't the purpose of the law to shape society into what we collectively think it should be like? Under this reading, the mechanics of how you choose what to punish don't really matter, so long as the result is closer to what you want. Granted, we might want to live in a society where thoughtcrime isn't a thing, and this might shape the laws we create, but collective processes can be considerably less rational than that.