Locke, Private Property, and the Law of Nature

B. Jeffrey Reno

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 2009, vol. 68, issue 3, pages 639-663

Abstract: The study of policy lies at the intersection of economics and ethics, dealing, to a great extent, with private property. Policy design therefore assumes an understanding of the relationship between property and human nature, a matter of great interest to John Locke. Locke's teaching, however, is far from clear, often composed of a set of dual arguments. Yet close attention to the dualistic arguments is revealing: the two objects Locke associates with property-life and convenience-correspond to the two bases upon which he grounds the right to property: labor and consent. His argument reflects the changing economic nature of property, and also provides insight into the poles within which people behave according to the Law of Nature. Thus, a full explication of the relationship between Locke's Law of Nature and doctrine of property illuminates the economic and ethical principles that ought to inform policymakers and analysts. Copyright © 2009 American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc..

Date: 2009

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