FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN PRIVATE LAW: BETWEEN MORAL AUTONOMY AND PATRIMONIAL SECURITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19478963Keywords:
consent, morality, freedom of conscience, human rights, autonomy of will, patrimonial securityAbstract
Freedom of Conscience and the Legal Protection of the Individual in Private Law: Between Moral Autonomy and Patrimonial Security.
This study analyzes freedom of conscience as the moral and legal foundation of the autonomy of will in private law, with the primary objective of identifying how this humanist value supports the balance between individual freedom and the legal protection of patrimonial interests. Adopting an interdisciplinary and humanist approach, I have integrated historical-legal, doctrinal, and jurisprudential perspectives to demonstrate the role of freedom of conscience in establishing a peaceful and equitable legal order. Our research starts from the hypothesis that freedom of conscience is regarded as an expression of dignity and moral autonomy. In this context, it constitutes the foundation of the principle of autonomy of will, and respect for this freedom ensures the stability of legal relationships. At the same time, the study examines the limits of this freedom imposed by public order, good morals, and the demands of social equity, demonstrating the necessity of balancing an individual’s inner freedom with the external legal order. The methodology employed combines hermeneutic and comparative analysis with historical and socio-legal approaches, exploring doctrinal sources, case law, and perspectives from European legal systems. The variables chosen (freedom of conscience, autonomy of will, legal protection, and normative intervention) allowed for the construction of a coherent understanding of the relationship between morality and law. The research results confirm the main hypothesis, in that freedom of conscience represents the axiological foundation of the autonomy of will and an essential condition for legal equity. In conclusion, recognizing freedom of conscience as an active principle of private law is indispensable for the development of a balanced and sustainable legal order.
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