Henry Sumner Maine

Henry Sumner Maine (1822-1888) was a British jurist and legal historian known for his influential ideas on the evolution of law and society. He is best known for his work "Ancient Law," where he argued that societies progress from collective, communal structures to individualism and complex legal systems. Maine emphasized the importance of understanding the historical context of laws and how social changes shape legal principles. His insights laid the groundwork for comparative law and influenced modern sociology and anthropology, highlighting the relationship between law, culture, and social development.