The «Private Law» course aims at making the students aware of the «unity» and «complexity» that characterize the current Italian and European legal system, in the regulation of civil law relationships. At the end of the course, they are expected to easily find – on a case-by-case basis – the normative provisions («rules», «general clauses» and «principles») that are relevant for the legal problem brought to their attention.
First part. Functions of law in modern societies: a «relative» perspective. The relationship between law and other social branches. The importance of history and the western legal tradition. The distinction between «civil law» and «common law» (two opposite tendencies: «statutorification» of common law; «judicialization» of civil law). Italian normative sources in the European and international context. The notion of «formants». The distinction between «rules» (conditional structure), «general clauses» (conservative approach and ordoliberal perspective) and «principles» (axiological surplus).
Second part. Selected civil law – with the relevant constitutional and civil code provisions - civil law topics: (i) Natural and legal personality. Associations and foundations; (ii) Property and real rights; (iii) Contracts: physiological and pathological aspects; (iv) Obligations: sources, performance and guarantees; and finally (v) Family and general principles of succession law.
