Tully's Locke
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6350674 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Govert Den Hartogh (0000-0003-1359-5237, University of Amsterdam, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1990 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 656-672 |
| Publication date | 1990-11-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Political Theory (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0090-5917 • E-ISSN: 1552-7476 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0090591790018004013 |
| OpenAlex | W1822378800 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 1 |
In the state of nature, preceding the institution of a civil or political society, the world is, by divine ordinance, the common property of humanity. How can this collective entity be a property owner? It cannot mean that all people are incorporated into one cooperative venture, organized for the disposal of material goods. The necessary organization is not naturally given. Nor can it mean that everyone has some right to claim absolutely everything: In that case, no appropriation would be possible without the unanimous consent of all. Community of ownership means, rather, that everyone has an inclusive right, a right to be included in the list of rightholders. Everyone included will, in due time, get one's share for subsistence and enjoyment. But divine ordinance did not provide for the distribution of the shares. So we have a problem. Everyone has a right to a share, but which share? (Every citizen has a right to make use of the public transport system, but which seat may one lawfully occupy?) When Locke begins his chapter on property, he has already established that the state of nature does know exclusive property rights, for God's purposes for humanity require them. The only problem is to decide how they are apportioned. Labor is the answer. Whatever someone mixes one's labor with, one appropriates. That is to say, by tilling, hammering, or processing, a person procures an exclusive right to the product of one's labor, a right to exclude others from the use of it. The reason for this is that without labor, nothing which nature gives can be of any use to people. (Even the fruits of the forest
Political science · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Historical Economic and Legal Thought · Philosophy · Political Economy and Marxism
| Citations per year | 0.06 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1992 - 2025 (34) |
| Highly cited | No |