Overview
- Property ownership is underpinned by the concept of self-ownership, or ‘self-sovereignty’; the right to make decisions for yourself. 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. For example, in the UK, most of the National Trust’s 620,000 acres of land were donated by private landowners, bestowing the property on the charity in the interest of preserving it for the common good. This very much aligns with the Aspirational Values.
- 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.