The Political Philosophy of Property Rights

This mongraph reasserts the primacy of property in
political theorising. Arguing that the determination
of property rights is part of the justification of
the state, MacDonald notes the failure of much
current philosophising to take account of this role
when setting out the normative arguments for
legitimate political authority. MacDonald criticises
current philosophical definitions of property as a
bundle-of-rights, arguing that for normative
purposes, property is a right of exclusion in rem.
Thereby MacDonald escapes the interminable moral and
legal arguments over property - such as questions of
Lockean labour theory, self-ownership, and indigenous
historical injustice - that have dominated recent
political philosophy. Instead, the book focuses on
the failure of libertarian and liberal egalitarian
theories of justice to produce a plausible account of
both legitimate political authority s right to
regulate property, and the principles upon which that
regulation ought to occur. The book will be of
interest to scholars of political philosophy and
theory, especially those engaged in the contemporary
ideas of justice, legitimacy and the justification of
the state.

Autorentext

Dr. MacDonald is a lecturer in political theory in the School ofSocial and Political Sciences at the University of Canterbury,New Zealand.

Klappentext

This mongraph reasserts the primacy of property inpolitical theorising. Arguing that the determinationof property rights is part of the justification ofthe state, MacDonald notes the failure of muchcurrent philosophising to take account of this rolewhen setting out the normative arguments forlegitimate political authority. MacDonald criticisescurrent philosophical definitions of property as abundle-of-rights, arguing that for normativepurposes, property is a right of exclusion in rem. Thereby MacDonald escapes the interminable moral andlegal arguments over property - such as questions ofLockean labour theory, self-ownership, and indigenoushistorical injustice - that have dominated recentpolitical philosophy. Instead, the book focuses onthe failure of libertarian and liberal egalitariantheories of justice to produce a plausible account ofboth legitimate political authority's right toregulate property, and the principles upon which thatregulation ought to occur. The book will be ofinterest to scholars of political philosophy andtheory, especially those engaged in the contemporaryideas of justice, legitimacy and the justification ofthe state.