This book applies the insights of Marxist social theory and politics to law. After presenting a clear and unified discussion of Marxism, Collins examines the special characteristics of legal institutions, rules, and ideals. He focuses particularly on the Marxist critique of the ideal of the Rule of Law, discussing law and class oppression, ideology and law, base and superstructure, the future of law, and class struggle and the rule of law.

This book extends the theme of Raymond Williams's earlier work in literary and cultural analysis. He analyzes previous contributions to a Marxist theory of literature from Marx himself to Lukacs, Althusser, and Goldmann, and develops his own approach by outlining a theory of cultural materialism' which integrates Marxist theories of language with Marxist theories of literature.
Williams moves from a review of the growth of the concepts of literature and idealogy to a redefinition of determinism' and hegemony'. His incisive discussion of the 'social material process' of cultural activity...