Abstract

This chapter begins with a discussion of Marxism, which is a theory about the meaning of history. According to Marxism the meaning of history is that man's destiny lies in the creation of a Communist society where men will experience a higher stage of being amounting to the realization of true freedom. It then addresses the question of whether there is a Marxist theory of law. General theories of law are predicated on a belief in the nature of law which can be termed legal fetishism. Marxists reject such a belief and it follows that they are not inclined to develop a general theory of law as an end in itself. Nevertheless, much remains for Marxists to say about law.