Question

Which of the following reflects the John Locke's theory of property?

• A. Property rights arise from the will of the sovereign
• B. Property exists only through state legislation and natural creation
• C. Mixing one's labour with nature justifies creation of private property
• D. Property rights are inherited through divine right

Hint:

The core of John Locke's property theory is simple: Your labor is yours. When you mix your labor with something from nature, that thing becomes yours too.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

John Locke, a key Enlightenment philosopher, articulated a very influential theory of property in his "Second Treatise of Government.
" This is often called the Labor Theory of Property.
He argued that while the Earth and its resources are initially common to all humanity, every person owns their own body and, by extension, their own labor.
When an individual "mixes his labor" with a natural resource (e.
g.
, by picking an apple from a tree or cultivating a piece of land), that labor becomes part of the object, removing it from the common state and making it their private property.