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Inaugural Dissertation on Perplexing Cases in the Law

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Leibniz: Logico-Philosophical Puzzles in the Law

Part of the book series: Law and Philosophy Library ((LAPS,volume 105))

Abstract

In the opening section, Leibniz identifies the object of his work: on the one hand, he will circumscribe the extension of the term perplexing case, specifying what cases are to be viewed as perplexing, and on the other hand he will suggest how such cases should be dealt with.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The case.

  2. 2.

    The question, in the sense of the thesis to be demonstrated.

  3. 3.

    Involving multiple issues.

  4. 4.

    D. 32.1.37 (De legatis et fideicommissis).

  5. 5.

    D. 2.1.19.pr.

  6. 6.

    D. 9.4.28.

  7. 7.

    D. 10.4.12.4.

  8. 8.

    D. 50.16.122.

  9. 9.

    D. 2.1.16, 17.

  10. 10.

    D. 9.2.5.3.

  11. 11.

    Respectively D. 19.5.5.4 and D. 19.5.15, (De praescriptis verbis et in factum actionibus).

  12. 12.

    D. 25.4.4 (De inspiciendo ventre custodiendoque partu).

  13. 13.

    D. 26.7.5.7, 39.2 (De administratione et periculo tutorum et curatorum qui gesserint vel non et de agentibus vel conveniendis uno vel pluribus).

  14. 14.

    D. 27.9.2 (De rebus eorum, qui sub tutela vel cura sunt, sine decreto non alienandis vel supponendis).

  15. 15.

    D. 35.2.88.

  16. 16.

    “A path woven with blind walls.”

  17. 17.

    “Penned in the gloom and in a blind dungeon.”

  18. 18.

    To interweave, twist.

  19. 19.

    “To twist one into the other.”

  20. 20.

    “To ply,” meaning “to bend, bow; to fold or double.”

  21. 21.

    Thrown.

  22. 22.

    To throw.

  23. 23.

    “We came to a serious deadlock” (Trans. E. S. Shuckburgh).

  24. 24.

    D. 20.4.16 (Qui potiores in pignore vel hypotheca habeantur et de his qui in priorum creditorum locum succedunt).

  25. 25.

    “Doubt”.

  26. 26.

    “Two.”

  27. 27.

    C. 8.6.1.

  28. 28.

    C. 7.45.3.

  29. 29.

    Leibniz cites note 24 here, but that appears to be an oversight.

  30. 30.

    X. 2.19.9.

  31. 31.

    Inst. 4.17.

  32. 32.

    D. 4.8.13.4 (De receptis: qui arbitrium receperint ut sententiam dicant).

  33. 33.

    D. 42.1.36 (De re iudicata et de effectu sententiarum et de interlocutionibus).

  34. 34.

    D. 1.16.6.2.

  35. 35.

    D. 1.18.14.

  36. 36.

    X. 1.6.41 (De electione et electi potestate).

  37. 37.

    Sext. 2.7.1 (De eo qui mittitur in possessionem causa rei servandae).

  38. 38.

    D. 29.5.3.4 (De senatus consulto Silaniano et Claudiano: quorum testamenta ne aperiantur).

  39. 39.

    Decretum Gratiani cum Glossa Ordinaria Johannis Teutonici ac Bartholomaei Brixiensis, 2.26.2.4 (in the text, mistakenly, 5).

  40. 40.

    X. 2.19.26.

  41. 41.

    D. 5.1.14 (De iudiciis: ubi quisque agere vel conveniri debeat).

  42. 42.

    C. 6.43.3.pr (Communia de legatis et fideicommissis et de in rem missione tollenda).

  43. 43.

    X. 5.35.3.

  44. 44.

    D. 20.4.12.5.

  45. 45.

    D. 11.7.46 (De religiosis et sumptibus funerum et ut funus ducere liceat).

  46. 46.

    D. 41.2.12.1 (De adquirenda vel amittenda possessione).

  47. 47.

    D. 1.1.10.

  48. 48.

    D. 34.5.10 (11).1.

  49. 49.

    D. 50.17.56 (De diversis regulis iuris antiqui).

  50. 50.

    Sext. 5.15. De regulis iuris (Rules of law), not to be confused with the rules of law in the Digest referred to in the previous note, is a collection of 88 legal axioms (compiled by Dino del Mugello) found at the end of Sextus.

  51. 51.

    D. 40.1.24.pr.

  52. 52.

    D. 50.17.20.

  53. 53.

    D. 50.17.85.

  54. 54.

    X. 2.20.47 (De testibus et attestationibus).

  55. 55.

    D. 50.17.33, 41.

  56. 56.

    D. 45.1.2.2.

  57. 57.

    D. 4.3.1.3.

  58. 58.

    D. 50.17.188.

  59. 59.

    C. 4.21.14 (De fide instrumentorum et amissione eorum et antapochis faciendis et de his quae sine scriptura fieri possunt).

  60. 60.

    D. 50.17.41, 125.

  61. 61.

    C. 2.1.4.

  62. 62.

    D. 28.6.9. The correct reference is to D. 28.6.10.7.

  63. 63.

    D. 35.2.88.

  64. 64.

    “Wait until you go.”

  65. 65.

    “Go only when you are already going.”

  66. 66.

    D. 28.7.4.

  67. 67.

    D. 28.7.4.1.

  68. 68.

    D. 28.7.20.

  69. 69.

    D. 45.1.48.

  70. 70.

    D. 28.5.9.14, 51.

  71. 71.

    D. 28.5.6.4.

  72. 72.

    D. 40.7.2.3.

  73. 73.

    D. 28.5.21.1, 22.

  74. 74.

    C. 6.51.1.6.

  75. 75.

    “Bad crows, bad egg”, a Greek proverb.

  76. 76.

    Inst. 4.6.33.

  77. 77.

    C. 3.10.1, 2.

  78. 78.

    D. 1.5.15, 16.

  79. 79.

    C. 7.4.16.

  80. 80.

    D. 45.1.9.

  81. 81.

    D. 28.7.16.

  82. 82.

    The text says four.

  83. 83.

    “By stipulation”.

  84. 84.

    Sext. 3.7.7 (De concessione praebendae et ecclesiae non vacantis).

  85. 85.

    D. 44.3.14.3 (De diversis temporalibus praescriptionibus et de accessionibus possessionum).

  86. 86.

    D. 17.2.19, 20.

  87. 87.

    D. 50. 17. 47.1.

  88. 88.

    D. 50.16.105.

  89. 89.

    D. 43.24.6.

  90. 90.

    D. 43.16.20.

  91. 91.

    D. 41.2.30.6.

  92. 92.

    D. 50.17.85.pr.

  93. 93.

    D. 44.3.14.

  94. 94.

    C. 5.27.8 (De naturalibus liberis et matribus eorum et ex quibus casibus iusti efficiuntur).

  95. 95.

    Sext. 3.7.7.

  96. 96.

    D. 20.4.14, 16.

  97. 97.

    D. 38.17.2 (Ad senatus consultum Tertullianum et Orphitianum). Contrary to what is stated in the text, this law has not been previously mentioned.

  98. 98.

    Sext. 1.16.

  99. 99.

    Novel 97 to C. 8.17(18).12 (Qui potiores in pignore habeantur). It is the constitution De aequalitate dotis et propter nuptias donationis of 539. The passage quoted by Leibniz, omitted from the modern editions of Justinian’s Novels, is found in appendix to the mentioned passage of the old glossed editions of the Codex.

  100. 100.

    “From the first to the last.” See § XXI above.

  101. 101.

    C. 8.17.12.

  102. 102.

    Inst. 4.17.5.

  103. 103.

    This reference is to be read as C. 7.7.1.2, 5 (De servo communi manumittendo).

  104. 104.

    Inst. 2.7.4.

  105. 105.

    This passage, missing in A VI/1 247, is found in D IV, 2, 58 (see Leibniz 1960: 287).

  106. 106.

    X. 3.5.8, 20, 25 (De praebendis et dignitatibus).

  107. 107.

    X. 3.5.26.

  108. 108.

    Sext. 2.7.1.

  109. 109.

    Sext. 3.4.40 (De praebendis et dignitatibus).

  110. 110.

    D. 1.5.15, 16.

  111. 111.

    D. 28.5.43.

  112. 112.

    D. 40.4.31.

  113. 113.

    D. 34.5.19, 27.

  114. 114.

    C. 7.7.

  115. 115.

    Inst. 2.7.4.

  116. 116.

    D. 40.12.30.

  117. 117.

    D. 20.4.16.

  118. 118.

    Absurd.

  119. 119.

    D. 20.4.9.2.

  120. 120.

    D. 26.2.30.

  121. 121.

    D. 41.2.3.5.

  122. 122.

    C. 8.6.

  123. 123.

    D. 43.26.15.4.

  124. 124.

    D. 43.17.3.

  125. 125.

    D. 41.2.3.1.

  126. 126.

    D. 46.1.5 (De fideiussoribus et mandatoribus).

  127. 127.

    “Nor can it be discerned.”

  128. 128.

    D. 43.17.3.pr.

  129. 129.

    Sext. 3.7.7.

  130. 130.

    D. 38.17.2.17.

  131. 131.

    D. 1.3.14, 39 (De legibus senatusque consultis et longa consuetudine).

  132. 132.

    Kurfürst August von Sachsen, Constitutiones und Verordnungen (Dresden 1572), I.28, § “after being reached (seized) … and when two pledges.”

  133. 133.

    Kurfürst Johann Georg I, Ordinatio Processus (Dresden 1622), title 44, § “but if two”.

  134. 134.

    D. 50.17.200.

  135. 135.

    D. 5.4.3.

  136. 136.

    C. 6.43.3.1a.

  137. 137.

    D. 30.36.

  138. 138.

    D. 32.1.89 (De legatis et fideicommissis).

  139. 139.

    D. 50.16.142.

  140. 140.

    D. 41.2.3.5.

  141. 141.

    D. 38.17.5.2.

  142. 142.

    D. 38.17.2.15.

  143. 143.

    D. 37.12.1.2 (Si a parente quis manumissus sit).

  144. 144.

    D. 38.17.2.15.

  145. 145.

    Inst. 3.3.4.

  146. 146.

    Inst. 3.2.4.

  147. 147.

    D. 38.17.2.17.

  148. 148.

    D. 38.17.2.18.

  149. 149.

    “But when we cannot have any information about which of the creditors’ objective titles is earlier, given such doubts one is to proceed by first paying his spouse for the dowry she brought in, and subsequently his children.”

  150. 150.

    “And thirdly the fisc for the payment of its credit; however, subsequent creditors, etc. [should not have any privilege over other persons and] should be treated equally.” The phrase enclosed within square brackets, found in the original text of the law, has been omitted here by Leibniz through his use of “etc.”

  151. 151.

    D. 20.4.16.

  152. 152.

    D. 50.17.207.

  153. 153.

    “There is but one truth.”

  154. 154.

    D. 20.4.16.

  155. 155.

    D. 20.4.2, 8.

  156. 156.

    Sext. 5.54.

  157. 157.

    C. 8.17.12.

  158. 158.

    D. 24.3.1 (Soluto matrimonio dos quemadmodum petatur).

  159. 159.

    “Not anterior express”.

  160. 160.

    “But equally not the same”.

  161. 161.

    D. 24.3.33.

  162. 162.

    C. 4.53.1 (Rem alienam gerentibus non interdici rerum suarum alienatione).

  163. 163.

    Inst. 4.6.29.

  164. 164.

    Novel 97 to C. 8.17(18).12.

  165. 165.

    D. 20.2.1.

  166. 166.

    D. 20.4.4.

  167. 167.

    “It is permitted that they come before.”

  168. 168.

    C. 4.53.

  169. 169.

    “It is charged to him”.

  170. 170.

    C. 7.73.2.

  171. 171.

    C. 8.17.12.

  172. 172.

    “To all the others.”

  173. 173.

    “To all those creditors.”

  174. 174.

    “But it should be.”

  175. 175.

    D. 32.1.70.9.

  176. 176.

    D. 28.1.27 (Qui testamenta facere possunt et quemadmodum testamenta fiant).

  177. 177.

    X. 5.15.

  178. 178.

    “And in particular those who come uncultivated to the study of law.”

References

  • Ben-Menahem, H. 1993. Leibniz on Hard Cases. Archiv füür Rechts- und Sozialphilosophie 79: 198–215.

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  • Leibniz, G.W. 1960. Th. Hobbes, A dialogue between a philosopher and a student of the common laws of England / G. W. Leibniz, Specimen quaestionum philosophicarum ex iure collectarum; De casibus perplexis; Doctrina conditionum; De legum, interpretationeth ed. Tullio Ascarelli, Milano: Giuffrè.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leibniz, G. W. 2009. De cas perplexe en droit (De casibus perplexis in jure). Ed. and transl. P. Boucher. Paris: Vrin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Legal Studies - CIRSFID, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Alberto Artosi, Bernardo Pieri & Giovanni Sartor

  2. European University Institute, Florence, Italy

    Giovanni Sartor

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  2. Bernardo Pieri
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Legal Studies - CIRSFID, University of Bologna, Via Galliera 3, Bologna, 40121, Bologna, Italy

    Alberto Artosi

  2. Department of Legal Studies - CIRSFID, University of Bologna, Via Galliera 3, Bologna, 40121, Bologna, Italy

    Bernardo Pieri

  3. , Law Department, European University Institute, Via Boccaccio 121, Firenze, 50133, Italy

    Giovanni Sartor

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Artosi, A., Pieri, B., Sartor, G. (2013). Inaugural Dissertation on Perplexing Cases in the Law. In: Artosi, A., Pieri, B., Sartor, G. (eds) Leibniz: Logico-Philosophical Puzzles in the Law. Law and Philosophy Library, vol 105. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5192-7_2

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