Includes bibliographical references and index.

Historical literature and historical consciousness in contemporary private international law -- Preclassical conflict of laws in modern historical consciousness -- Conflict of laws as a conceptual battlefield -- Conflict of laws as a doctrinal exercise -- Conflict of laws in a world-system -- "Nunc veniamus ad glossam" : bartolus comments oncunctos populos -- Bartolus in a world-system -- Bartolan conflicts as a doctrinal exercise -- Bartolus and the modern consciousness -- "It often happens that transactions..." : Huber on the conflict of laws -- The world-system of Huber's conflict of laws -- Huber's conflict of laws as a doctrinal work -- Huber and the modern consciousness -- Preclassical conflict of laws configured.

"In almost every textbook on private international law, there is a reference to the medieval and early modern jurists who, it is claimed, wrote on the conflict of laws. Such references are often very brief. Some appear to unveil the foundation stone of our whole doctrinal edifice, but many others may look and feel ornamental, of no importance to their author's argument. What matters the most is that, taken together these references constitute an integral aspect of our thinking about private international law - an aspect that, it will be argued in this book, is important, if neglected, and also misunderstood"--