This work investigates the normative structure of private law, specifically questioning whether corrective justice provides a coherent internal logic for legal liability. Ernest J. Weinrib, a professor of law and philosophy, draws upon Aristotelian concepts to argue that private law is an autonomous system defined by the bilateral relationship between the parties involved. He posits that the law of torts and contracts functions through a formalist framework that prioritizes the interaction between the doer and the sufferer rather than external social goals.

Legal scholars frequently cite this text as a seminal contribution to the formalist school of jurisprudence. Readers often note the high level of academic density and the rigorous philosophical reasoning required to engage with the author's arguments.