(Return to main path )

In my opinion, there are no natural rights to property that are anything like classic liberal or modern libertarian property rights. The people of each culture construct, over centuries, the rights and obligations of property that dominate that culture. The variation among the resulting constructions is enormous; and none of the specific examples can be said to be correct in general or for all circumstances.

Therefore, the question for us is not "What are the natural rights of property?" or "What property rights exist in the state of nature?" but rather "What set of property rights and obligations ought to be dominant in our culture today?"

We cannot answer that question by appealing to an abstract theory of Man in general. We must answer it for our specific circumstances, taking into account our values. We must make decisions, make choices, and construct the set of rights that is best for us.