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Hunger, Need, and the Boundaries of Lockean Property

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2018

DAVID G. DICK
DAVID G. DICK*
Affiliation:
University of Calgary
*
*<[email protected]>
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Abstract

Locke’s property rights are now usually understood to be both fundamental and strictly negative. Fundamental because they are thought to be basic constraints on what we may do, unconstrained by anything deeper. Negative because they are thought to only protect a property holder against the claims of others. Here, I argue that this widespread interpretation is mistaken. For Locke, property rights are constrained by the deeper ‘fundamental law of nature,’ which involves positive obligations to those in need and confines the right to excess property within circumstances where it is not needed to preserve human life.

Le droit de propriété tel que défini par Locke est généralement considéré comme fondamental et strictement négatif. Il est fondamental car il détermine ce que nous pouvons faire, sans être lui-même contraint par des normes plus profondes. Il est négatif car on considère qu’il ne fait que protéger les propriétaires contre les prétentions des autres. Je souhaite démontrer que cette interprétation est erronée, le droit de propriété étant soumis chez Locke à une loi plus profonde, la «loi fondamentale de la nature», qui suppose des obligations envers les plus vulnérables et limite le droit à l’excès de propriété s’il entre en conflit avec la préservation de la vie humaine.

Keywords

Lockepropertycharityhungerrightspovertywealth
Type
Original Article/Article original
Information
Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review / Revue canadienne de philosophie , Volume 58 , Issue 3 , September 2019 , pp. 527 - 552
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Philosophical Association 2018 

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