What is Property?

The 19th century French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon declared that "Property is theft", as well as "Property is Freedom" in his missive What is Property? Or, an Inquiry into the Principle of Right of Government.

Proudhon also claimed that "Property is impossible." Although he was a socialist, he rejected communitarianism and believed that individual possession -- which he distinguished from private property -- was necessary both for liberty and for an efficient economy.

Unfortunately, as Douglas Adams later pointed out in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, adhering to this basic premise can be an excellent way to justify stealing...

"Property is theft, right? Therefore theft is property, therefore this [insert stolen item here] is mine..."

please write more on "Property is Theft" and the nature of private property

External links

• http://dhm.best.vwh.net/archives/proudhon-property-is-theft.html