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| '''Property is theft!''' is a slogan coined by the ] ] ] in his book '']''. | '''Property is theft!''' is a slogan coined by the ] ] ] in his book '']''. | ||
| Taken at face value, "Property is theft!" appears to be an ], because theft, by definition, means depriving someone of his property. However, |
Taken at face value, "Property is theft!" appears to be an ], because theft, by definition, means depriving someone of his property. However, Proudhon had his own specialized definition of property in ''What is Property''. By property, he was referring to government-granted title to idle and unoccupied land. Proudhon opposed the idea of an individual owning land that he was not using, as this would enable him to charge rent to others and thereby by paid without laboring. He also opposed the communist conception of collective ownership, as he explains in ''What is Property'': "instead of inferring from this that property should be shared by all, I demand, as a measure of general security, its entire abolition." For Proudhon, individuals may rightfully only "occupy and use" land, but not restrict others from using land (or charging rent to use land) that they are not putting to use. | ||
| In his analysis of property Proudhon distinguished two forms. One, which was based in title and confered absolute dominion, he believed was detrimental to society, "Property is impossible, because, if it exists, Society devours itself." Thus Proudhon objected to such institutions as the charging of interest, rent, or any profit generated on the part of a proprietor who did not directly labor with the property in question. The other, which he commonly referred to as possession, was based instead on labor and occupation, which Proudhon felt in turn would obstruct and destroy property if such rights were consistently applied. | |||
| Proudhon used the term ] to describe his vision of a society where individuals and democratic workers associations could trade their produce on the market. In this system, he supposes exchange value to be determined by the amount of labor required to produce a commodity, in line with the ]. | Proudhon used the term ] to describe his vision of a society where individuals and democratic workers associations could trade their produce on the market. In this system, he supposes exchange value to be determined by the amount of labor required to produce a commodity, in line with the ]. | ||
Revision as of 04:17, 19 December 2005
Property is theft! is a slogan coined by the French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in his book What is Property? Or, an Inquiry into the Principle of Right of Government.
Taken at face value, "Property is theft!" appears to be an oxymoron, because theft, by definition, means depriving someone of his property. However, Proudhon had his own specialized definition of property in What is Property. By property, he was referring to government-granted title to idle and unoccupied land. Proudhon opposed the idea of an individual owning land that he was not using, as this would enable him to charge rent to others and thereby by paid without laboring. He also opposed the communist conception of collective ownership, as he explains in What is Property: "instead of inferring from this that property should be shared by all, I demand, as a measure of general security, its entire abolition." For Proudhon, individuals may rightfully only "occupy and use" land, but not restrict others from using land (or charging rent to use land) that they are not putting to use.
Proudhon used the term mutualism to describe his vision of a society where individuals and democratic workers associations could trade their produce on the market. In this system, he supposes exchange value to be determined by the amount of labor required to produce a commodity, in line with the labor theory of value.
See also
- Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- Mutualism (economic theory)
- Libertarian socialism
- Property
- Private property
- What is Property?