K. B. Smellie, 'Sir Henry Maine', Economica, No. 22 (March 1928), p. 65
“
Maine's direct influence on political thought was to be slight. His influence on the study of law was enormous and therefore his indirect influence on politics has been enormous too. Intending to show law as a growth, he in fact greatly increased our control over it as an instrument.
— K. B. Smellie
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Maine's direct influence on political thought was to be slight. His influence on the study of law was enormous and therefore his indirect influence on politics has been enormous too. Intending to show law as a growth, he in fact greatly increased our control over it as an instrument." in the context of "K. B. Smellie, 'Sir Henry Maine', Economica, No. 22 (March 1928), p. 65" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Henry James Sumner Maine" (Quotes about Maine)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Henry James Sumner Maine
Sir Henry James Sumner Maine (15 August 1822 – 3 February 1888) was a British comparative jurist, historian and political proto-progressive nonetheless famous for his varied objections to Whig history.
About Henry James Sumner Maine
Sir Henry James Sumner Maine (15 August 1822 – 3 February 1888) was a British comparative jurist, historian and political proto-progressive nonetheless famous for his varied objections to Whig history.
View all quotes →