Alla periferia del mercato: le obbligazioni naturali tra promesse e rimedi

The essay examines selected aspects of moral obligations in continental European legal systems, where they are regulated such that, on one hand, the expected performance cannot be demanded by the party interested in its execution, and on the other, the obligor cannot seek restitution for voluntarily provided performance. The author explores the rationale behind the European civil code drafters’ decisions to exclude both specific performance claims and restitution claims for voluntary performance, emphasizing the remedies implied by the concept of “moral obligation’’. Building on this analysis, the essay then considers the conditions under which a civil obligation – especially one that pertains to a morally owed performance – may be assumed. This exploration uses donation as a critical point of reference. Since one can certainly enter into a gratuitous obligation through donation, allowing a debtor to assume a legal obligation grounded in a moral one offers a streamlined, flexible approach, reducing transaction costs and tailoring the promise’s form to the circumstances in which it arises.