Maine, (Sir) Henry (1822–1888)

Abstract

The work of the British legal scholar Sir Henry Maine is reviewed in its intellectual and social context as a contribution to the development toward the social‐scientific study of law. Maine introduced important ideas on the historical evolution of law as influenced by nonlegal social conditions. Seeking to contribute to the jurisprudence of his day, Maine's work served explicitly practical purposes, yet thereby he also relied on scientific principles of historical inquiry and comparative research. This scholarly orientation remains at the heart of the social‐scientific study of law and legal systems until this day.