Henry James Sumner Maine
Henry James Sumner Maine
Sir Henry James Sumner Maine, KCSI, was a British comparative jurist and historian. He is famous for the thesis outlined in his book Ancient Law that law and society developed "from status to contract." According to the thesis, in the ancient world individuals were tightly bound by status to traditional groups, while in the modern one, in which individuals are viewed as autonomous agents, they are free to make contracts and form associations with whomever they choose. Because of this...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionHistorian
Date of Birth15 August 1822
The ancient codes were doubtless originally suggested by the discovery and diffusion of the art of writing.
When primitive law has once been embodied in a Code, there is an end to what may be called its spontaneous development.
The Roman jurisprudence has the longest known history of any set of human institutions.