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 [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. | + | 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. |