Macpherson's Property Thesis: An Attempt at Analysis in a Global and National Context

Öztürk Kırışık, Duygu

Macpherson criticizes the conceptualization of liberal property of the 20th century, emphasizing the necessity of a transformation within the liberal paradigm. The definition of liberal property excludes forms of ownership other than private property, such as common ownership and state ownership, and reduces ownership to things, legitimizing ownership based on whether labor is involved, shaped according to the needs of market capitalism. This conceptualization of property does not align with the claims of liberal democracy. Liberal democracy considers private property as a natural right necessary for a humane life. However, the liberal democratic understanding of the same period advocates principles of private property acquisition that would hinder humane living, exclude others, and rely o...