Part 2 Chapter 27 Summary and Analysis

Here the reader is introduced to crimes, excuses and extenuations. A sin is a transgression of the law and a breach of all the laws that the legislature has created. A sin can be speaking against the laws, intending to break them, or failing to follow them. A crime is a sin which consists of doing what is forbidden by law. However, the act has to be committed, and the intention is not labeled a crime. An interesting note is that if there is no law, there is no sin, and where there is no civil law, there is no crime. This is because in either, there are no grounds for accusation. Also, when the sovereign power ceases, so does crime because if there is no one to govern then there are no civil laws, and everything returns to...