This book examines the notion of a law of obligations as a conceptual category in itself; and,in doing this, it presents the foundational material in a context that draws on some comparative and theoretical ideas while, at the same time, emphasising the special characteristics of the common law.;The book is specifically designed to act as an introduction to the legal research skills of reasoning and method. It also looks at the foundations of civil liability in a way that emphasises the interrelationship of source materials, problem solving and conceptual analysis and justification.