LOCKE’S AND HEGEL’S THEORY OF PROPERTY

Abstract

Property is one of the fundamental notions of economy, law, and politics. But can it be treated as a philosophical question? Although it certainly is not an important topic in a general philosophical inquiry, it is, undoubtedly, a prominent subject of political and legal philosophy. The problems such as the origin of property, its nature, function and justification, are the main points of a philosophical examination of property. the systematic exposition of above-mentioned issues might be rightfully called a theory of property. It is, naturally, mandatory in this exposition to attach property to essential human needs for which it stand out, and is supposed to fulfill. In this paper, the author tried to address some of the main philosophical problems concerning property, by exploring and comparing two of the most important theories of property in legal and political philosophy – those of Locke and Hegel. Since the two theories differ in many important aspects, the author’s intention was not only to highlight the main distinctions, but to demonstrate some similarities as well. The focus was mainly on Locke’s theory of property and appropriation in his Second Treatise, and Hegel’s discussion of property under the chapter Abstract Right in his Elements of the Philosophy of Right.