Regarding the “class—law” thing, isn’t the point that laws reflect the state of the class struggle at any particular time? Marxists would not see law as any part of criteria for determining classes. Rather, laws reveal the relationship of forces between contending classes. The broad economic classes are defined strictly by their relationship to the means of production. (Also, it’s not the law that makes the ruling class the “owners” of the m of p, rather, the laws reveal who has the power to enforce their position.) — Larry C.