Difference between revisions of "What Is Property?"
From Critiques Of Libertarianism
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{{DES | des = Property is a complex set of coercive rights. Most people rely on simple folk models, but at least four fields are important for understanding property: philosophy, law, economics, and anthropology. Libertarians want an absolute, full liberal property over everything, that has never existed and that most people would not want. | show=}} | {{DES | des = Property is a complex set of coercive rights. Most people rely on simple folk models, but at least four fields are important for understanding property: philosophy, law, economics, and anthropology. Libertarians want an absolute, full liberal property over everything, that has never existed and that most people would not want. | show=}} | ||
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==The Nature of Property== | ==The Nature of Property== | ||
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==Property Is Theft== | ==Property Is Theft== | ||
| − | Pierre-Joseph Proudhon famously declared that "Property is theft." He also said that property is liberty and property is impossible. These are shortcut expressions of philosophical points he made at much greater length. All describe different aspects of property: they only seem to contradict | + | Pierre-Joseph Proudhon famously declared that "Property is theft." He also said that property is despotism, property is liberty and property is impossible. These are shortcut expressions of philosophical points he made at much greater length. All describe different aspects of property: they only seem to contradict. |
All property reduces the liberty of all other people by threatening violence for use of the property. Violent confiscation of liberty is a theft of liberty. This isn't simply theft of an abstract, but rather theft of opportunity to freely use natural resources (for example.) This is true of other types of rights as well. | All property reduces the liberty of all other people by threatening violence for use of the property. Violent confiscation of liberty is a theft of liberty. This isn't simply theft of an abstract, but rather theft of opportunity to freely use natural resources (for example.) This is true of other types of rights as well. | ||
