Chapter9
TheEarlyHistoryofContractTherearefewgeneralpropositionsconcerningtheagetowhichwebelongwhichseematfirstsightlikelytobereceivedwithreadierconcurrencethantheassertionthatthesocietyofourdayismainlydistinguishedfromthatofprecedinggenerationsbythelargenessofthespherewhichisoccupiedinitbyContract。Someofthephenomenaonwhichthispropositionrestsareamongthosemostfrequentlysingledoutfornotice，forcomment，andforeulogy。Notmanyofusaresounobservantasnottoperceivethatininnumerablecaseswhereoldlawfixedaman’ssocialpositionirreversiblyathisbirth，modernlawallowshimtocreateitforhimselfbyconvention；andindeedseveralofthefewexceptionswhichremaintothisruleareconstantlydenouncedwithpassionateindignation。Thepoint，forinstance，whichisreallydebatedinthevigorouscontroversystillcarriedonuponthesubjectofnegroservitude，iswhetherthestatusoftheslavedoesnotbelongtobygoneinstitutions，andwhethertheonlyrelationbetweenemployerandlabourerwhichcommendsitselftomodernmoralitybenotarelationdeterminedexclusivelybycontract。Therecognitionofthisdifferencebetweenpastagesandthepresententersintotheveryessenceofthemostfamouscontemporaryspeculations。ItiscertainthatthescienceofPoliticalEconomy，theonlydepartmentofmoralinquirywhichhasmadeanyconsiderableprogressinourday，wouldfailtocorrespondwiththefactsoflifeifitwerenottruethatImperativeLawhadabandonedthelargestpartofthefieldwhichitonceoccupied，andhadleftmentosettlerulesofconductforthemselveswithalibertyneverallowedtothemtillrecently。
Thebiasindeedofmostpersonstrainedinpoliticaleconomyistoconsiderthegeneraltruthonwhichtheirsciencereposesasentitledtobecomeuniversal，and，whentheyapplyitasanart，theireffortsareordinarilydirectedtoenlargingtheprovinceofContractandtocurtailingthatofImperativeLaw，exceptsofaraslawisnecessarytoenforcetheperformanceofContracts。
TheimpulsegivenbythinkerswhoareundertheinfluenceoftheseideasisbeginningtobeverystronglyfeltintheWesternworld。Legislationhasnearlyconfesseditsinabilitytokeeppacewiththeactivityofmanindiscovery，ininvention，andinthemanipulationofaccumulatedwealth；andthelawevenoftheleastadvancedcommunitiestendsmoreandmoretobecomeameresurface-stratumhavingunderitaneverchangingassemblageofcontractualruleswithwhichitrarelyinterferesexcepttocompelcompliancewithafewfundamentalprinciplesorunlessitbecalledintopunishtheviolationofgoodfaith。
Socialinquiries，sofarastheydependontheconsiderationoflegalphenomena，areinsobackwardaconditionthatweneednotbesurprisedatnotfindingthesetruthrecognisedinthecommonplaceswhichpasscurrentconcerningtheprogressofsociety。Thesecommonplacesanswermuchmoretoourprejudicesthantoourconvictions。ThestrongdisinclinationofmostmentoregardmoralityasadvancingseemstobeespeciallypowerfulwhenthevirtuesonwhichContractdependsareinquestion，andmanyofushavealmostinstinctivereluctancetoadmittingthatgoodfaithandtrustinourfellowsaremorewidelydiffusedthanofold，orthatthereisanythingincontemporarymannerswhichparallelstheLoyaltyoftheantiqueworld。Fromtimetotime，theseprepossessionsaregreatlystrengthenedbythespectacleoffrauds，unheardofbeforetheperiodatwhichtheywereobserved，andastonishingfromtheircomplicationaswellasshockingfromcriminality。Buttheverycharacterofthesefraudsshowsclearlythat，beforetheybecamepossible，themoralobligationsofwhichtheyarethebreachmusthavebeenmorethanproportionatelydeveloped。Itistheconfidencereposedanddeservedbythemanywhichaffordsfacilitiesforthebadfaithofthefew，sothat，ifcolossalexamplesofdishonestyoccur，thereisnosurerinclusionthanthatscrupuloushonestyisdisplayedintheaverageofthetransactionswhich，intheparticularcase，havesuppliedthedelinquentwithhisopportunity。Ifweinsistonreadingthehistoryofmoralityasreflectedinjurisprudence，byturningoureyesnotonthelawofContractbutonthelawofCrime，wemustbecarefulthatwereaditaright。TheonlyformofdishonestytreatedofinthemostancientRomanlawisTheft。