From the doctrine of restitution of the Spanish late scholastics to the European law of non-contractual obligations?

Abstract

The article traces the influence on modern law of the late scholastic theory of restitution (restitutio), which integrated the laws of unjust enrichment, delict, and damages into one, single overarching theory. Although late scholastic authors were widely read and frequently cited during the 17th and 18th centuries, the impact of their theory of restitution was rather slight. In secular natural law discussions and in the learned ius commune, this theory could not become an attractive model of non-contractual obligations because it was perceived as a symbol of an old-fashioned Thomism and of Catholic, rather than Christian, faith. It is shown that apparent parallels between the theory of restitution and modern private law institutions, particularly in the law of damages, are mostly due to developments that were independent of late scholastic arguments. Nevertheless, the theory may appear intellectually attractive, even from a modern perspective, as it offers a legally innovative rights-based reconstruction of the law of non-contractual obligations.