Plato on the Ownership of Property

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Plato's views on the ownership of private property, tracing the change that occurred in Plato's thinking over time on the issue, as reflected in his comments on property ownership in his early work, 'the Republic', and in his later work, 'the Laws'. The paper concludes that Plato's early call for the abolition of private property ownership was based on sound logic, given his premises in regard to the state, but that he was later forced to concede that what is logical is not always practical.

From the Paper:

"It was not until Locke articulated his theory of the origin of property that the notion of the "natural right" to property took hold and our modern conception of the sanctity of private ownership was born. Plato was not alone in establishing a causal connection between political unrest and inequalities in property--both Aristotle after him, and James Harrington several centuries later acknowledged this. Moreover, Plato was in good company in requiring citizens to renounce their claim to private property. The Cynics, Seneca, Jesus and the Early Christians, and, much later, Rousseau all took a dim view of privately owned property. Seneca suggested, as Plato did, that it was only when humans degenerated from their original state of innocence and purity that the desire to own private property emerged and that it was the role of government to curb this and other corrupt desires."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Plato. Laws. Vol. I. Trans. R.G. Bury. London: William Heinemann, 1952.
• Plato. Laws. Vol. II. Trans. R.G. Bury. London: William Heinemann, 1952.
• Plato's Best Thoughts. Compiled from Prof. Jowett's translation of the Dialogues of Plato by Rev. C. H. A. Bulkley. New York: Scribner, Armstrong, and Company, 1876.
• Sabine, George H. A History of Political Theory. 3rd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961.

More papers on Plato on the Ownership of Property:

• Analytical Essay # 56998 : "Aristotle and Property Rights"
• Essay # 9466 : "Aristotle and Plato on The Equality of Individuals"
• Comparison Essay # 25280 : "Aristotle vs. Plato on the Objectivity of Morality"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: