Private Property And Political Theory

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Introduction:
The concept of private property is of keen concern in the study of political theory. Most of the philosophers gave considerable attention to this subject. Man claim for the property can be traced back in to ancient times, even the classic Greek Philosopher like Plato and Aristotle talked about the institution of property. Plato explained how the acquisition of private property leads toward corruption and became a hurdle in the way of a just society. He divided the individuals into three different categories and also emphasized for subject and function specialization. Plato was in the favor of Family and Property communism since he believed that they are those institutions who paved the ground for further corruption in the system.
Aristotle believed that property provided psychological satisfaction by fulfilling the human instinct for pleasure, possession and ownership. According to Aristotle
“Property is a part of the household and the art of acquiring property is a part of managing the household; for no man lives well, or indeed live at all unless he is provided with necessaries ”.
However, Modern Political Philosophers gave much importance to private property and consider the role of private property in the structure and maintenance of the state. Some of the modern philosophers are considered property as a natural right of the individual. It can be used as a source of pleasure, power and oppression as the same time. This research will examine the justification of property offered by John Locke, Karl Marx and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. These philosophers were chosen as they all discuss the access to the property according to the need. Further, foundation of property in the context of natural law will be discussed. This...

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...more solemn to private property, and identified the vast discrimination that it creates between human being. Rousseau focused almost entirely on a political solution; Marx advocated a more revolutionary cure for society’s ills. Both focused on the needs of the community and not the desires of the individual.
Rousseau’s state of nature resembles what Marx wants communism to be e.g. Rousseau states that the first person to claim something as property engendered society and ended the state of nature. Likewise, Marx wants to rid the world of private property and wants only common property to survive.
Though their concepts weren’t fully applied and encouraged as the system of today’s world is capitalist and totally based on interest of powerful class but still Karl Marx and Rousseau thought is a way to think beyond self interest and self supremacy to collective good.

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