Property in Second Treatise of Civil Government and...

Property in Second Treatise of Civil Government and Robinson Crusoe Both John Lockes Second Treatise of Civil Government and Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe deal with the question of property. In these two texts, the following questions arise: when does common property become an individuals property; and what factors make the appropriation of property justifiable or not? These questions may be answered by looking at each authors political views, followed by how they are incorporated in their work. Locke outlines the procedures for the transition of property to private ownership, while Defoe details the way Crusoe appropriates property (i.e., food, accommodations, and slaves) during the course of his stay on the†¦show more content†¦But even though the topic came up incidentally, Locke had much to say about it. He dedicated an entire chapter in his Treatise to discussing property and its importance in the laws of nature and government. Throughout Chapter V of his Second Treatise, Locke uses the term property†¦to connote that something is ones own, either inclusively or exclusively. That is, anything which is in any sense ones own is ones property. This seems to be the conventional seventeenth-century use of the term (Tully 112). Locke argues that natural reason†¦tells us, that men, being once born, have a right to their preservation (Locke 352). After establishing this principle, Locke continues to surmise that God has given the earth†¦to mankind in common. But this being supposed, it seems to some a very great difficulty how any one should ever come to have a property in any thing (Locke 353). This puzzling question may have different answers that all seem relative. Nonetheless, says Locke, every man is his own property and this nobody has a right to but himself (Locke 353). But, beyond this view, where else does private property originate? According to Locke, common property becomes individual property the moment one adds his or her labor to it. As Locke argues, The labour of his [theShow MoreRelatedCrusoe’s Island as an Allegorical Expression of Locke’s Theories on Property and Government2212 Words   |  9 Pagesas an Allegorical Expression of Locke’s Theories on Property and Government Two prolific writers captured what was pressing to the economic and political zeitgeist of 18th century England. John Locke’s ideas on property influenced readers like Thomas Jefferson who would be a prolific politician involved in the founding of the United States. Locke’s views on an individual’s right to property is discussed in his Second Treatise of Government. But what also are compelling to readers at the time wereRead More Observations on Property in Robinson Crusoe and Second Treatise2874 Words   |  12 PagesObservations on Property in Robinson Crusoe and Second Treatise  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         People have been fighting over land and possessions since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. But what actually constitutes the ownership of property? In the eighteenth century John Locke and Daniel Defoe addressed this question. In his Second Treatise, Locke defends the rights of people to property and he explains the basis for obtaining and maintaining dominion over it. In Robinson Crusoe, Defoe suggests a definition