Overview
- Property ownership is underpinned by the concept of self-ownership, or ‘self-sovereignty. That is, you are free to make decisions for yourself so long as you do not involuntarily interfere with another’s freedom to do the same. The opposite of self-ownership is slavery. John Locke was one of the leading contributors to the development of this concept.
- Starting from this premise that you own yourself, it naturally follows that you may trade your time and energy (labor) for money, and you own the things you buy with your money.
- Ownership means the legal right to make decisions regarding that property, excluding others. Many prefer the word stewardship to ownership.
- It is true to say that most land was initially acquired through the theft of someone else’s property in history. The Legal Principle holds people accountable for their actions, not those of their ancestors; otherwise, every newborn child and adult alike would be considered a criminal. We cannot solve all the crimes of history, but instead must break the cycle of aggressing by starting today.
- There are numerous historical examples of people voluntarily donating land for the common good.
- Most property law in countries like the USA already aligns with the Legal Principle, with two exceptions:
- Local communities must define some nuanced grey areas relating to property law.