Against the backdrop of the predominant legal positivism, this book strives to depict private law as a complex social phenomenon interacting with human culture as a whole and its history. The author sketches the national jurisdictions belonging to the Western legal tradition, as well as the supranational trends that point towards a global law. In particular, the rise of a European law is accounted for not only within the framework of the Union but also through the development of a rediscovered ius commune that has emerged from comparative studies conducted by scholars and from the dialogue among national and international courts. Traditional doctrines regarding juridical facts and rights are presented as analytical tools, aimed to construct a jurisprudence that extends beyond national borders.