The Notion of “Property” in History - Detailseite

How and why did the notion of property become such a central institution in the constitution of society and the state? Is the notion of property a universal concept or is it a time and place bound phenomenon, embedded in specific economic, social and cultural relationships? Why is property considered to be a “right” and not a “liberty”? What is the relationship between the division of labor and forms of ownership? How did the connection between property and law come about? The seminar will examine the history of property relations from a diachronic and interdisciplinary perspective to include history, sociology, political philosophy and anthropology. It will survey in the first place the views and doctrines of major philosophers and economists on the subject such as John Locke, David Riccardo, Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill and others. In the second, it will explore different property regimes and will discuss the political economy of the politics of rights as mechanisms of social inclusion and exclusion. Finally, the seminar will consider the historical development of the notion of property in different sectors such as the cases of private and common property, land ownership, intellectual property and industrial property.