What Is Property?

work by Proudhon

Also known as: “Qu’est-ce que la propriété?”

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July 15, 2026

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Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, a French libertarian socialist, famously declared "Property is theft!" in his 1840 work, What Is Property?. However, this statement requires clarification. Proudhon did not condemn all forms of property. Instead, he targeted property that allowed one person to exploit another's labor. He supported the right of individuals, such as farmers or craftspeople, to possess the land or tools they actively use.12

Proudhon's ideal society, known as Mutualism, envisioned workers' associations and free credit, operating without state interference. He was an anarchist, believing the state to be a coercive institution. His ideas influenced later anarchist and socialist theories, emphasizing economic action by workers for their own liberation.12

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Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Early life and education
…Qu’est-ce que la propriété? (1840; What Is Property?, 1876). This created a sensation, for Proudhon not only declared, “I am an anarchist”; he also stated, “Property is theft!”
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…Qu’est-ce que la propriété? (1840; What Is Property?, 1876). This created a sensation, for Proudhon not only declared, “I am an anarchist”; he also stated, “Property is theft!”
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socialism
Other early socialists
…Qu’est-ce que la propriété? (1840; What Is Property?), Proudhon memorably declared, “Property is theft!” This assertion was not quite as bold as it appears, however, since Proudhon had in mind not property in general but property that is worked by anyone other than its owner. In contrast to a society…
Read More
…Qu’est-ce que la propriété? (1840; What Is Property?), Proudhon memorably declared, “Property is theft!” This assertion was not quite as bold as it appears, however, since Proudhon had in mind not property in general but property that is worked by anyone other than its owner. In contrast to a society…
Read More

anarchism
Foundations of anarchist thought
…Qu’est-ce que la propriété? (1840; What Is Property?), Proudhon argued that the real laws of society have nothing to do with authority but rather stem from the nature of society itself, and he foresaw the eventual dissolution of authority and the emergence of a natural social order:
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…Qu’est-ce que la propriété? (1840; What Is Property?), Proudhon argued that the real laws of society have nothing to do with authority but rather stem from the nature of society itself, and he foresaw the eventual dissolution of authority and the emergence of a natural social order:
Read More