Cette recherche porte sur le moment où la philosophie de Francis Hutcheson, dans ses aspects moraux, épistémologiques et juridiques, contribue à élaborer des questionnements et des solutions innovantes et pratiques, pour le traitement des problèmes de la politique moderne. Pour répondre à la question « Qu’est-ce que la politique du sens moral ? », il faut considérer qu’il existe un sens de la moralité naturel, immédiat et involontaire chez chaque individu. Ce sens est le critère de jugement de l’action politique la meilleure, selon deux objectifs : le maintien de la paix et de l’harmonie sociale et la poursuite du bonheur, soit du plus grand bien pour le plus grand nombre. Même si les individus ne peuvent pas toujours agir par le meilleur moyen en vue d’une fin politique et éthique, tous sont aptes à juger de ce qu’il convient de faire. La politique du sens moral considère ainsi 1. Comment l’état de nature est un état de liberté où une sociabilité naturelle est décrite, indépendamment de la création des institutions civiles et politiques et aussi, quelles sont les conditions de retour à un tel état, à partir de l’éducation morale et politique ? Comment la société civile et le gouvernement se mettent en place avec un consentement, soit un artifice. 3. Enfin, comment la protection des droits inaliénables peut être assurée avec le concept de responsabilité politique, impliquant le risque pour sa vie en faveur de l’intérêt commun. / This study focuses on the moment when Francis Hutcheson’s philosophy, in its moral, epistemological and legal aspects, contributes to elaborating questionings and innovative practical solutions to deal with the issues of modern politics. To answer the question “What is the politics of moral sense?”, it must be considered that each individual possesses a natural, immediate and involuntary sense of morality. This moral sense is the criterion of judgement of the best political action depending on two aims: preservation of peace and social harmony; and the pursuit of happiness, that is, the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Even if individuals are not always able to act with the best means for a political and ethical purpose, all are able to judge what should be done. The politics of moral sense considers 1. How the state of nature is a state of liberty where a natural sociability is described, independently of the creation of civil and political institutions; and in parallel, what are the conditions of a return to such a state, based on a moral and political education. 2. How civil society and government are created with trust, or in other words, with an artifice. 3. Finally, how the protection of inalienable rights can be guaranteed with the concept of political responsibility, involving risking one’s life in support of the common interest. / Esta pesquisa se situa onde a filosofia de Francis Hutcheson, nos seus aspectos morais, epistemologicos e juridicos, contribui a elaborar questionamentos e soluçoes inovadoras e prâticas, para o tratamento dos problemas da politica moderna. Para responder à questào « o que é a politica do senso moral ? », deve-se considerar que existe um senso da moralidade natural, imediato e involontârio em cada indivfduo. Este senso é o critério de julgamento da melhor açào politica, segundo dois objetivos : a manutençao da paz e da hannonia social e a persecuçào da felicidade, quai seja o maior bem para o maior nùmero. Mesmo se os individuos nem sempre podem agir pelo melhor meio em vista de um firn politico e ético, todos estào aptos a julgar acerca do que comvém fazer. A politica do senso moral considera assim : 1. Como o estado de natureza é um estado de libertdade, no quai uma sociabilidade natural esta configurada, independentemente da criaçào das instituiçoes civis e politicas e igualmente, quais sào as condiçoes para retorno a tal estado, a partir da educaçào moral e politica. 2. Corno a sociedade civil e o governo ocupam seu lugar com um consentimento, ou seja, um artiffcio. 3. Enfim, como a proteçào dos direitos inalienâveis pode ser assegurada corn o conceito de responsabilidade politica, implicando atTiscar sua vida em favor do interesse comum.

This thesis examines the validity of exclusionary clauses in medical contracts, more especially, hospital contracts in which the healthcare provider exonerates itself against edictal liability arising from the negligent conduct of its staff, resulting in the patient suffering damages. In assessing whether these types of clauses should be outlawed by our courts, this thesis attempts to synthesize six major traditional areas of law, namely, the law of delict, the law of contract, medical law and ethics, international and foreign law, statutory law and constitutional law into a legal conceptual framework relating specifically to exclusionary clauses in medical contracts in South Africa. This thesis highlights systemic inconsistencies with regard to the central issue, namely, whether these types of clauses are valid or not, especially, given the fact that the practice of exclusionary clauses or waivers in hospital contracts has hitherto traditionally been assessed within the framework of the law of contract. The alignment of the various pre-existing areas of statutory and common law with the Constitution highlights that an inter-disciplinary and purposive approach under the value-driven Constitution, brings about a less fragmented picture in assessing the validity of these types of clauses. This approach accords with the new solicitude of the executive, the judiciary, the legislature and academia to transform the South African legal system not only in terms of procedural law but also substantive law. This has resulted in the alignment with constitutional principles and the underlying values to test the validity of these types of clauses, alternatively, contracts. Whereas pre-constitutionally the assessment of disclaimers in hospital contracts was done against the stratum of antiquated principles, namely, freedom of contract and the sanctity of contract, ignoring values such as reasonableness, fairness and conscionability, post-constitutionally, because the values that underlie the Bill of Rights and which affects all spheres of law, including the law of contract, concepts such as fairness, equity, reasonableness should weigh heavily with the decision-maker. In this regard, broader medico-legal considerations, normative medical ethics and the common law principles of good faith, fairness and reasonableness play a fundamental role in the assessment of contractual provisions, including the practice of disclaimers or exclusionary clauses in hospital contracts. This thesis critically examines how these types of clauses or contracts ought to be adjudicated eventually against the background of such alignment. It concludes that the entering into a hospital contract, in which the patient exonerates a hospital and its staff from liability flowing from the hospital or its staff's negligence causing damages to the patient, would be inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid. In the old order in which traditional divisions of law have been encouraged, a fragmented approach resulted in legal in congruencies which, in turn, created turbulence and a lot of uncertainty. This approach is apposite to that which the new constitutionally based legal system, aims to achieve. The rights in the Bill of Rights which are interconnected and which influences all spheres of law, including contract law, offers a fairer basis upon which, the validity of contracts, or contractual provisions, can be measured than, the pure contract approach. In this regard, although contracts or contractual provisions in the past may have been unfair and unreasonable, the courts, however, refused to strike them down purely on this basis. The law of contract, as a legal vehicle for adjudicating the validity of exclusionary clauses or waivers in hospital contracts, is therefore not ideal. This is primarily due to the antiquated approach the South African courts have always taken in this area of law. The law of delict, statutory law and medical law, standing alone, also does not provide a satisfactory answer. What is needed is an integrated approach in which the traditional areas of law are united and wherein constitutional principles and values, give much guidance and direction. Alternatively, should the unification of the traditional areas of law not be possible in bringing about fair and equitable results, the introduction of legislative measures may very well be indicated. / Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Public Law / unrestricted