ABSTRACT
A consideration of the nature of sovereignty and its relation to law and legal obligation must for two reasons begin with the thought of Jean Bodin. It is apparent that Bodin says that he is inviting readers to examine his basic view of reality. For it signals to his readers that if they are to understand his definition of law and the relation it has to his concept of sovereignty, they will have to investigate not only what he says about the source of law but what he says about its end as well. The fundamental importance of Bodin's work to political and legal theory becomes apparent once it is understood that the chief difference between the modern and contemporary world of law on the one hand and the ancient and medieval systems on the other is the modern emphasis on legislation rather than custom as the chief source of law.
