There have been four historical types of laws in human history, namely slavery law, feudal law, capitalist law and socialist law. Contemporary law in China belongs to socialist law and is the highest historical type of law. Socialist law is considered to be fundamentally different from the exploiting class law at the highest stage of legal history development.

Generally speaking, it is determined by the material living conditions at different stages of socialist development, reflecting the will of the broad masses of people led by the working class (or its vanguard), confirming, protecting and developing socialist productive forces, eliminating exploitation, eliminating polarization, and finally realizing common and prosperous social relations.

Socialist law is the sum of the codes of conduct formulated and recognized by socialist countries and guaranteed by the state's coercive power, and it is a tool for the people to be masters of their own affairs and govern the country.

First, the meaning of historical law

The so-called historical type of law is to divide the laws that existed in human history according to the economic basis of the emergence and existence of law and the class will embodied. Everything based on the same economic foundation and reflecting the laws of the same class will belong to the same historical type.

Second, the reasons for the replacement of historical type law

The replacement of legal historical types is a historical necessity independent of human will-the movement of basic social contradictions is the fundamental reason for the replacement of legal historical types; Class struggle and social revolution are the direct reasons for the replacement of legal historical types.