In her seminal work on boilerplate contracts, Margaret Jane Radin distinguishes between World A and World B to illuminate the fundamental tension between contract theory’s ideals and modern contractual reality. World A embodies the classical paradigm: contracts emerge through meaningful negotiation between informed equals. Here, parties exercise genuine autonomy, carefully reviewing terms before signaling informed consent. This world reflects contract law’s theoretical foundation—voluntary agreements between parties who comprehend and actively shape their obligations. In World A, freedom of contract justifies the enforcement of promises against people’s future selves, as Kaiponanea Matsumura put it … (more)
[Nikolas Guggenberger, Balkinization, 9 December 2024]
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