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Another way to approach
original acquisition is by considering our
property in ourselves. Everyone belongs to
himself or herself. My body, my intellect,
and my talents are mine. Therefore, whatever
I create (or bargain for) using my body, my
intellect, and my talents is mine, as long
as I don't use force or threaten others with
the use of force.
If you deny this, you are not treating me as
a human being -- as an end in myself.
Instead, you are saying that my body, my
intellect, and my talents can be used to
provide goods and services for others
without my consent. How is that morally
permissible? Those things are part of me.
They're mine. How can anyone else have a
claim on them without my agreement? To
put it differently, how can you possibly
think that you are born with a right to what
I produce?
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