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I want to elaborate a little on
what I have said.
I believe that use rights to
natural resources can be justified in the
state of nature and strong property rights can
be justified within a society with government
but ONLY if certain moral obligations to
others are recognized. In other words, certain
moral obligations to the common good are
built into the justification of property
rights.
A classic liberal or a
modern libertarian might deny what I just said
and still believe that property owners will in
fact act in such a way as to advance the
common good or the good of the vast majority.
It is sometimes said, for example, that
property owners, acting in their own
self-interest, will nevertheless act in such a
way as to foster the common good. That claim
is based on the idea that there is a natural
harmony of interests. That may or may not be
the case. It is an empirical claim to be
tested, and I am not so sure it is true.
I am building obligations to
the common good right into the foundations of
property rights. That is a different approach.
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