(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

The Proper Role of Governmental Jurisdiction over Property


             The question of whether property should be publicly or privately owned has long been debated. With the rise of socialism and communism, many believe that property should be government owned and kept in the common domain for all the people. John Locke, however, argues for the possibility of private acquisition of property through labor. Although socialists and communists believe that all property should be owned by the state and be common to all people, this author's opinion is that private ownership of property should be allowed because this possibility motivates men to labor to obtain property and improve it. .
             Two major forms of government today believe that all property should be owned by the state and common to all people: socialism and communism. Socialism is an economic system, a political movement, and a social theory. Most socialists believe that national or local governments, rather than individuals, should own a nation's resources and control their use (Schumpeter 20). Socialism calls for public ownership of land, factories, and other basic means of production. Similarly, communists believe in a society based on public ownership of the means of production (Schumpeter 22). Although both socialism and communism have changed over the years, their stance that property should be public and not private still remains strong today.
             Karl Marx and Frederick Engles are two men instrumental in the development of socialistic and communistic ideas. They believe that public ownership of property is necessary to the nature of socialism. Once socialism takes over, private property is expropriated and a system of production is established which is based on the common ownership of production, "on cooperation and the possession in common of the land and the means of production produced by labor itself" (Engels 115). Thus, in socialism, labor is used for the benefit of society and does not give benefits to any individual.


Essays Related to The Proper Role of Governmental Jurisdiction over Property


Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question