Abstract
Examines the philosophy of history of the Swedish jurist Nils Herman Quiding (1808-86) as presented in his book, 'Slutliquid med Sveriges lag' [A final reckoning with Sweden's law] (1886). Quiding's system contains two parts: a romantic-idealist metaphysics and a positivist theory of social development. History unfolds God's purpose that mankind should evolve through knowledge to a spiritual existence. But social development has been distorted by the institution of legal property in land, giving rise to class oppression. This legal system will disappear with the advent of Christian communism. Quiding's debt to Swedish idealist philosophers is evident, but it is more difficult to determine his relation to French or Marxist socialists.