Sign In
Not register? Register Now!
Essay Available:
Pages:
3 pages/≈825 words
Sources:
6 Sources
Style:
MLA
Subject:
Social Sciences
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 12.96
Topic:

Locke’s Theory of Property Social Sciences Essay Paper

Essay Instructions:

In a central passage of his Second Treatise of Government (§27), John Locke develops a theory of how a person can come to legitimately acquire property:
[Everyone] has a property in his own person; this nobody has a right to but himself. ‘The labour of his body and the work of his hands we may say are properly his. Whenever someone, by his labor, changes a thing from its natural state [to make it more useful] he ‘mixes his labor’ with it. He ‘thereby makes it his property’, for ‘it hath, by this labour, something annexed to it that excludes the common right of other men’.
Subsequently (§33), John Locke notes that acquiring property cannot come at the expense of the ability of others to do the same:
Nor was this appropriation of any parcel of land, by improving it, any prejudice to any other man, since there was still enough and as good left, and more than the yet unprovided could use. So that, in effect, there was never the less left for others because of his enclosure for himself. For he that leaves as much as another can make use of, does as good as take nothing at all.
Concerning this theory of property, philosophers have generally raised three objections.
The notion of individuals having “property in [their] own person” is not a correct basis for providing a theory of owning objects.
Locke cannot explain why “mixing labor” with some item results in that item being owned, rather than one’s labor being mixed. (After all, mixing one’s soda with the ocean does not result in the ocean being one’s property).
Locke’s limit to the acquisition of property cannot coherently be maintained: acquiring property cannot leave “as good and as much” for others.
Write a 4-page paper (double-spaced; 12 pt.; standard margins) by picking one of these objections to Locke’s theory and arguing whether it holds. This will require you to: (i) clearly explain Locke’s theory of property; (ii) clearly explain the objection; (iii) provide an argument for or against the objection.
(Since this is the first paper, and the topic is not especially easy, the emphasis will be on succeeding at (i) and (ii)). The paper is due 10 October.

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Name:
Institution:
Date:
Locke’s Theory of Property
Locke bases his argument on natural law which is synonymous with God’s law that ‘God gave the earth and its fruits in common to men for their use’ and everyone is obliged to obey. Locke uses the principle of natural law which entails the right to life to explain his property ownership CITATION Ley56 \l 1033 (Leyden, 1956). Locke was attempting ‘to ground the right to property in natural law and assert the rights of individuals against the state and limit the moral authority of the state in a crucial area of human endeavor.’ The objection ‘that property in their own person’s is not a correct basis for providing a theory of owning objects. It is based on the premise that a natural object cannot become more useful to the man on itself without human intervention. He was trying to show how commonly available resources can legitimately be private property and exclude the rights of other men.
Locke shows that man, in the very nature of himself/herself, has property to which he/she can expand. For that property, no one else can have claimed for it in the world of equals since self-owns it. Locke’s asserts,’ every man has a property in his person. This nobody has any right to but himself. The labor of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say, are properly his.’ Locke then goes ahead to define individual right to own property under this context that man owns himself. To show the importance of this property owned by all men, he notes ‘is labor indeed that puts the difference of value on everything.’ This shows that labor is an important factor of transforming objects or increasing their usefulness. He further notes that the natural world provides very little that is of use to man without labor. Locke explains this concept by asserting that ‘labor makes the far greatest part of the value of things we enjoy in this world’ and therefore it is labor that dictates the right to property.
The objection; The notion of individuals having ‘property in their person’ is not a correct basis for providing a theory of owning objects.
People who object to this theory argue that there is more to ownership of property than mixing it with self. If a person mixes with another product which he/she does not own with his labor, it does not automatically become his/hrs. A person driving his boss’ car is mixing his labor with the car, but it is not his property. The process of working is mixing that property with other things to have a new product, therefore, if the mere action of mixing your labor with other material will amount to ownership of the resultant product.
The argument against the objection.
In my opinion, Lock...
Updated on
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:
Order

You Might Also Like Other Topics Related to scientific essays:

HIRE A WRITER FROM $11.95 / PAGE
ORDER WITH 15% DISCOUNT!
Order Now