property

Property, in philosophy, refers to the concept of ownership and the rights associated with it. Philosophers have debated its origins and justification for centuries.

Classical Theories of Property

• Hugo Grotius introduced the theory of eminent domain, stating that the state can take private property for public use with just compensation.1
• Samuel von Pufendorf believed property rights stem from physical possession (occupation) sanctioned by the state.1
• John Locke argued that property arises from mixing one's labor with an object, considering it a natural right essential for liberty and fundamental to the social contract.123
• Jeremy Bentham viewed property as an expectation of legislative protection, emphasizing its role in maximizing human felicity.1
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel connected property protection to the protection of the human will, as extending one's will to an object makes it part of oneself.1
• Karl Marx critiqued property as a tool of class warfare, enabling capitalists to exploit laborers.1

Essentialism, in ontology, is the view that objects have properties that are essential to their identity.4