Comparative contract law

After an introduction on historical formation of the law of contract, focusing on the differences between the common law systems and the civil law systems, the course will focus on the most important principles of the law of contracts in the two mentioned systems. It will explain, in particular, the ratio and the historical reasons of the freedom of contract theory, from the one hand, and the contractual justice and the good faith theory, from the other hand, and the consequences that the two theories have on the law of contracts.
Then, the course will focus on a general overview on the law and economics contractual theory, that has had its great diffusion in the North American law system and the consequent understanding of the contract as exchange, in contrast with the opposite view of the contract as agreement.
The course will explain the different ways of conclusions of contracts (unilateral and bilateral contracts), the evolution of the mirror image rule and the main contract's elements, focusing on the different conclusions in the common law and in the civil law systems and, in particular, on the opposition of the two concepts of the civil law "cause" and the common law "consideration".
Afterwards, the course will concentrate on the main characteristics of interpretation of contracts and implied terms theory, the different approaches of the Courts in interpreting contracts and the pros and cons of each of them.
The second part of the course will focus on breach of contract, damages and specific performance.
The course will conclude with a focus on illegality of contract.