ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
April 9, 2020
This is a letter to our friends –
Property
“Property … The exclusive right of possessing, enjoying and disposing of a thing; ownership. In the beginning of the world, the Creator gave to man dominion over the earth, over the fish of the sea and the fowls of the air, and over every living thing. This is the foundation of man’s property in the earth and in all its productions. Prior occupancy of land and of wild animal gives to the possessor the property of them. The labor of inventing, making or producing any thing constitutes one of the highest and most indefeasible titles to property. Property is also acquired by inheritance, by gift or by purchase. Property is sometimes held in common, yet each man’s right to his share in common land or stock is exclusively his own. One man may have the property of the soil, and another the right of use, by prescription or by purchase.” Noah Webster 1828]
In the beginning God gave life to men. Because they had life, they must be free to move around and gather the things needed to sustain life. But – –
Since all those things were held in common, it would see that I must get universal permission before I can nourish my body with so much as an apple. Not possible! So when does the apple become exclusively my property?
The labor of my hands is exclusively my property. When I pick the apple (i.e. remove it from the state nature left it in common) I have mixed my property with the apple. I am free to eat it. But – –
If I do not make use of the apple and it rots in my possession, I have cheated someone else of that apple. What shall I do?
I will take the apple while it is fresh and exchange it in the market for walnuts with a longer shelf life. But – 0
The walnuts will dry up and I will have still cheated commons. I will exchange the walnuts, while they are good, for yellow nuggets of gold with an indefinite shelf life!
Thank you John Locke. It males sense to me.
These columns are archived since 12/10/09
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