Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Exploring the Foundations of Contract Law

Cause and Consideration: Exploring the Foundations of Contract Law, an anthology edited by Bruno Rodríguez-Rosado, Rocío Caro Gándara, and Antonio Legerén-Molina, has been published by Hart/Bloomsbury.  The publishers tell us that you may order it online here and use the code GLR BD8 to get 20 percent off.

This book provides a comprehensive study of two parallel notions of civil and common law: cause and consideration . . .  in three ways; with historical, comparative, and functional perspectives. Aspects of cause and consideration are hotly contested by contract lawyers and this book will bring clarity by looking at the English and Continental positions. Key areas of focus include: enforceability, questions of legality and morality, contractual justice, and the correction of unjustified property displacements.

Bringing together a team of experts, the book discusses (in some cases for the first time in English) complex questions of both academic and practical importance.
–Dan Ernst. TOC after the jump.

Part I. Origins and Historical Development

1. Roman Origins: Typicity of Contracts in Roman Law, FJ Andrés, University of Valladolid
2. Medieval Development, João de Oliveira Geraldes, University of Lisbon
3. The Rise and Fall of Consideration in English Law, D Ibbetson, University of Cambridge
4. The Cause in Modern Doctrine and Early Codifications, D Deroussin, University of Lyon
5. The Decline of Cause, W Dajczak, University of Poznan

Part II. National Reports

6. The Role of Consideration in English Law, J Cartwright, University of Oxford
7. The French Development, O Deshayes, University of Paris-Nanterre
8. The Use of Cause of Contract in Spanish Law, A Legerén-Molina, University of Coruña
9. Germany and its Rejection of the Cause, G Albers, University of Linz
10. The Italian Variant, F Patti, Bocconi University of Milan

Part III. Functions of Cause and Consideration

11. Cause, Consideration and the Enforceability of Promises, B Rodríguez-Rosado, University of Málaga
12. Cause and the Control of Legality and Morality of Contracts, JP Murga, University of Seville
13. Cause, Consideration and Frustration of Contract, R Caro, University of Málaga
14. Cause, Consideration and Unjust Enrichment, B Häcker, University of Bonn

Part IV. Final Conclusions