Chapter1 INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
A. Definition: A "contract" is an agreement that the law will enforce.
Written v. oral contracts: Although the word "contract" often refers to a written document, a writing is not always necessary to create a contract. An agreement may be binding on both parties even though it is oral. Some contracts, however, must be in writing under the Statute of Frauds.
B. an overview
Contracts are promises that the law will enforce. The law provides remedies if a promise is breached or recognizes the performance of a promise as a duty. Contracts arise when a duty does or may come into existence, because of a promise made by one of the parties. To be legally binding as a contract, a promise must be exchanged for adequate consideration. Adequate consideration is a benefit or detriment which a party receives which reasonably and fairly induces them to make the promise/contract . For example, promises that are purely gifts are not considered enforceable because the personal satisfaction the grantor of the promise may receive from the act of giving is normally not considered adequate consideration. Certain promises that are not considered contracts may, in limited circumstances, be enforced if one party has relied to his detriment on the assurances of the other party.
II. SOURCES OF CONTRACT LAW
Contracts are mainly governed by state statutory and common (judge-made) law and private law. Private law principally includes the terms of the agreement between the parties who are exchanging promises. This private law may override many of the rules otherwise established by state law. Statutory law may require some contracts be put in writing and executed with particular formalities. Otherwise, the parties may enter into a binding agreement without signing a formal written document. Most of the principles of the common law of contracts are outlined in the Restatement Second of The Law of Contracts published by the American Law Institute. The Uniform Commercial Code, whose original Articles have been adopted in nearly every state, represents a body of statutory law that governs important categories of contracts. The main Articles that deal with the law of contracts are Article 1 (General Provisions) and Article 2 (Sales). Sections of Article 9 (Secured Transactions) governs contracts assigning the rights to payment in security interest agreements.
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第一章 概述
I.合同的定义
A. 定义： 合同是指有法律执行力的协议。
书面合同V.口头合同：虽然“合同”一词通常是指书面的协议，但是合同的成立并不是必须以书面形式。一个口头的协议也同样可以约束双方当事人。但是，《防欺诈法》中规定的合同，则必须具备书面形式。
B.概况
合同是可强制执行的一项或一组诺言。如果一方违反该诺言，法律将为另一方提供救济，或者以某种方式要求有诺言的一方履行义务。一方做出一个诺言，即产生了一个义务，合同就有可能产生。但作为可强制执行的合同，另一方必须为对方的诺言提供合理的对价。合理的对价是指作出诺言的一方应当得到的合理、公平的利益。比如，许诺赠与礼物的行为就不是一个可强制执行的合同，因为赠与者从赠与行为中得到的个人满足感在法律上并不认为是一个充分的对价。当然在特定的情境下，有些不被认为是合同的诺言，基于一方的保证，该诺言也是可以强制执行的。
II.合同法的渊源
合同主要是由美国各州成文法、普通法（判例法）和私法来规范的。私法原则上是包括互相作出承诺的当事人之间的协议。私法可能使州成文法确定的很多规范无效。比如成文法可能要求合同必须是书面的，或者要求有特殊的履行方式，然而（依据私法）即使没有签定正式的书面的协议，双方当事人仍然可能受到该协议的约束。美国法学会出版的《第二次合同法重述》论述了大量关于合同的普通法原则。《统一商法典》则为规定各类重要合同之成文法的代表作，其法条范本已经几乎被美国所有的州法律所采用，《统一商法典》关于合同的主要的条款有第一条（一般条款）、第二条（买卖）、第九条（担保交易）该条规定了依据物权担保协议进行付款的合同。
