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The¡¡cases¡¡in¡¡which¡¡a¡¡man¡¡is¡¡treated¡¡as¡¡the¡¡responsible¡¡cause¡¡of¡¡a¡¡given¡¡harm£»¡¡on¡¡the¡¡one¡¡hand£»¡¡extend¡¡beyond¡¡those¡¡in¡¡which¡¡his¡¡conduct¡¡was¡¡chosen¡¡in¡¡actual¡¡contemplation¡¡of¡¡that¡¡result£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡which£»¡¡therefore£»¡¡he¡¡may¡¡be¡¡to¡¡have¡¡chosen¡¡to¡¡cause¡¡that¡¡harm£»¡¡and£»¡¡on¡¡the¡¡other¡¡hand£»¡¡they¡¡do¡¡not¡¡extend¡¡to¡¡all¡¡instances¡¡where¡¡the¡¡damages¡¡would¡¡not¡¡have¡¡happened¡¡but¡¡for¡¡some¡¡remote¡¡election¡¡his¡¡part¡£¡¡Generally¡¡speaking£»¡¡the¡¡choice¡¡will¡¡be¡¡found¡¡to¡¡have¡¡extended¡¡further¡¡than¡¡a¡¡simple¡¡act£»¡¡and¡¡to¡¡co¡ordinated¡¡acts¡¡into¡¡conduct¡£¡¡Very¡¡commonly¡¡it¡¡will¡¡have¡¡extended¡¡further¡¡still£»¡¡to¡¡some¡¡external¡¡consequence¡£¡¡But¡¡generally£»¡¡also£»¡¡it¡¡will¡¡be¡¡found¡¡to¡¡have¡¡stopped¡¡short¡¡of¡¡the¡¡consequence¡¡complained¡¡of¡£
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But¡¡the¡¡choice¡¡may¡¡have¡¡stopped¡¡one¡¡step¡¡farther¡¡back¡£¡¡The¡¡defendant¡¡may¡¡have¡¡intended¡¡to¡¡light¡¡a¡¡fire¡¡on¡¡his¡¡own¡¡land£»¡¡and¡¡may¡¡not¡¡have¡¡intended¡¡to¡¡burn¡¡the¡¡house¡£¡¡Then¡¡the¡¡nature¡¡of¡¡the¡¡intervening¡¡and¡¡concomitant¡¡physical¡¡causes¡¡becomes¡¡of¡¡the¡¡highest¡¡importance¡£¡¡The¡¡question¡¡will¡¡be¡¡the¡¡degree¡¡of¡¡danger¡¡attending¡¡the¡¡contemplated¡¡£¨and¡¡therefore¡¡chosen£©¡¡effect¡¡of¡¡the¡¡defendant's¡¡conduct¡¡under¡¡the¡¡circumstances¡¡known¡¡to¡¡him¡£¡¡If¡¡this¡¡was¡¡very¡¡plain¡¡and¡¡very¡¡great£»¡¡as£»¡¡for¡¡instance£»¡¡if¡¡his¡¡conduct¡¡consisted¡¡in¡¡lighting¡¡stubble¡¡near¡¡a¡¡haystack¡¡close¡¡to¡¡the¡¡house£»¡¡and¡¡if¡¡the¡¡manifest¡¡circumstances¡¡were¡¡that¡¡the¡¡house¡¡was¡¡of¡¡wood£»¡¡the¡¡stubble¡¡very¡¡dry£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡wind¡¡in¡¡a¡¡dangerous¡¡quarter£»¡¡the¡¡court¡¡would¡¡probably¡¡rule¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡liable¡£¡¡If¡¡the¡¡defendant¡¡lighted¡¡an¡¡ordinary¡¡fire¡¡in¡¡a¡¡fireplace¡¡in¡¡an¡¡adjoining¡¡house£»¡¡having¡¡no¡¡knowledge¡¡that¡¡the¡¡fireplace¡¡was¡¡unsafely¡¡constructed£»¡¡the¡¡court¡¡would¡¡probably¡¡rule¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡not¡¡liable¡£¡¡Midway£»¡¡complicated¡¡and¡¡doubtful¡¡cases¡¡would¡¡go¡¡to¡¡the¡¡jury¡£
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But¡¡the¡¡philosophical¡¡analysis¡¡of¡¡every¡¡wrong¡¡begins¡¡by¡¡determining¡¡what¡¡the¡¡defendant¡¡has¡¡actually¡¡chosen£»¡¡that¡¡is¡¡to¡¡say£»¡¡what¡¡his¡¡voluntary¡¡act¡¡or¡¡conduct¡¡has¡¡been£»¡¡and¡¡what¡¡consequences¡¡he¡¡has¡¡actually¡¡contemplated¡¡as¡¡flowing¡¡from¡¡them£»¡¡and¡¡then¡¡goes¡¡on¡¡to¡¡determine¡¡what¡¡dangers¡¡attended¡¡either¡¡the¡¡conduct¡¡under¡¡the¡¡known¡¡circumstances£»¡¡or¡¡its¡¡contemplated¡¡consequence¡¡under¡¡the¡¡contemplated¡¡circumstances¡£
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The¡¡theory¡¡of¡¡torts¡¡may¡¡be¡¡summed¡¡up¡¡very¡¡simply¡£¡¡At¡¡the¡¡two¡¡extremes¡¡of¡¡the¡¡law¡¡are¡¡rules¡¡determined¡¡by¡¡policy¡¡without¡¡reference¡¡of¡¡any¡¡kind¡¡to¡¡morality¡£¡¡Certain¡¡harms¡¡a¡¡man¡¡may¡¡inflict¡¡even¡¡wickedly£»¡¡for¡¡certain¡¡others¡¡he¡¡must¡¡answer£»¡¡although¡¡his¡¡conduct¡¡has¡¡been¡¡prudent¡¡and¡¡beneficial¡¡to¡¡the¡¡community¡£
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In¡¡general£»¡¡this¡¡question¡¡will¡¡be¡¡determined¡¡by¡¡considering¡¡the¡¡degree¡¡of¡¡danger¡¡attending¡¡the¡¡act¡¡or¡¡conduct¡¡under¡¡the¡¡known¡¡circumstances¡£¡¡If¡¡there¡¡is¡¡danger¡¡that¡¡harm¡¡to¡¡another¡¡will¡¡follow£»¡¡the¡¡act¡¡is¡¡generally¡¡wrong¡¡in¡¡the¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡the¡¡law¡£
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