The binding effect of the contract, reflection on the interest in the contract

The binding force of the contract has a universal effect. This consensus contrasts sharply with the debates that affect the rules governing the binding force : what is the basis of contract ? Should the "cause" and the subject matter ("l'objet") of the contract remain conditions of its validity ? How to adapt the protection of the consent to standard form contracts ? Should the regime against unfair contract terms be part of ordinary law ? What role should "good faith" play ? What role should the judge play ? Should we accept judicial revision for unforeseeability ? What role should objective interpretation play ? What importance should article 1135 of the French Civil Code have ? What sanctions should be associated to the termination of contract ? Is there a hierarchy between these sanctions ? How to reconcile the proliferation of the exceptions to the principle of intangibility of contract and the overall consistency of the binding force ? To all of these questions, among others, the study intends to answer by uncovering the link that ties together consistently all the rules on the binding force : the point to the contract, which refers to the essential (and "essentialized") elements that are key to the consent of the parties. Structured around this link, the binding force promotes and ensures the protection of the point to the contract, pursuant to the utilitarian and the social functions assigned to it. Being both the basis and the measure of the binding force, the point to the contract unifies the body of law that governs it.