PO210 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Chthonic, Proletariat, Twelve Tables
Document Summary
Viewed society as consisting of two opposing classes: proletariat and bourgeoisie. Bourgeoisie holds the power and uses it to exploit the proletariat. Proletariat eventually would revel and establish a new communist system in which there were no classes. In reality, most socialist states established authoritarian regimes, where the communist party took control over most aspects of private life. Law was used to consolidate the power of the state in order to protect it from internal dissent and external threats from capitalist countries. Legislation is the main source of law and courts are expected to apply the law rather than interpret or create it. Relies on judicial decisions as the primary method of law creation. Traces back to england after the norman conquest of 1066. Prior to the conquest, england was divided into feudal kingdoms and followed a chthonic legal tradition.