Difference between revisions of "Libertarians Misunderstand Property"
From Critiques Of Libertarianism
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Libertarians routinely assume modern property is natural, is absolute, is costless, should extend over all, and solves all problems. None of that is true. | Libertarians routinely assume modern property is natural, is absolute, is costless, should extend over all, and solves all problems. None of that is true. | ||
| − | Modern, liberal property (the right) is a human creation: it is not natural. Simpler forms of "property" are primordial, mere temporary holdings (liberties), probably dating to combat over precambrian mates, food sources, and nest sites. The Hohfeldian point about liberties is how weak they are: anybody can interfere in them any way they want. If you have the liberty to hold something, anybody can take it away if they want. That's not a property right. When libertarians babble about animals and children understanding property, they are actually describing holdings: those same animals and children understand yielding the holding to the bigger animal or kid. | + | Modern, liberal property (the right) is a human creation: it is not natural. Simpler forms of "property" are primordial, mere temporary holdings (liberties), probably dating to combat over precambrian mates, food sources, and nest sites. The [Hohfeld’s_typology_of_rights|Hohfeldian] point about liberties is how weak they are: anybody can interfere in them any way they want. If you have the liberty to hold something, anybody can take it away if they want. That's not a property right. When libertarians babble about animals and children understanding property, they are actually describing holdings: those same animals and children understand yielding the holding to the bigger animal or kid. |
Libertarian philosophers pretend that modern property predates government, when government creates modern property rights. Nozick does this, for example. | Libertarian philosophers pretend that modern property predates government, when government creates modern property rights. Nozick does this, for example. | ||
