Freedom, Society, and State - Ludwig von Mises Institute

Egalitarianism As A Revolt Against Nature. and Other
Essays (Washington, D.C.: Libertarian Review Press,
1974), p. 121-24.
(14 )Rothbard, Power and Market, p. 176. Also see
Morris and Linda Tannehill, The Market for Liberty
( Lansing, Mi c h .: P r i va t e Pub I i cat i on, 19 70 ), pp • 60 - 64 •
(15}The only exception is that of David Friedman
who, like his father Milton, is a utilitarian. See
Da v i d F r i e dman, The Mac h i n e r y 0 f F r e e d om ( New Yo r k :
Harper and Row, 1973).
( 1 6 ) J 0 h n L 0 c k e ,Of C i viI Go v er n men t. Sec 0 n d
T rea tise(Chi c ago : Henry Reg n e r y, 1968), p. 22 • It
should be noted at this juncture that Locke did put two
1 imi tat ions on the right of ·property: scarcity and
spoi lage. Man can, by his labor, remove property from
the common stock provided "there is enough, and as good
left in common for others." Locke, himself, however,
does not seem to feel that this isa serious restriction,
for later he expressly states that "Nature and
the earth furnished only the almost worthless materials
as in themselves," and that "the property of labor
should be able to overbalance the community of land.
For it is labor indeed that puts the difference of
value on everything" (pp. 32-35). And elsewhere he
acknowledges that private property so facilitates produe
t ion a s t 0 I e a verno r e, not I e s s, for ever yoneel s e
(p. 29). As for spoilage, Locke's original position is
that since "Nothing was made by God for man to spoil or
destroy" no one has a right to accumulate more than he
can use wit h0 u t wa s t e· (p. 25 ) • Yet, he I ate r says t hat
"t he in ven t i on of money••• introduced larger possess
ionsandar i g h t tothem" ( p. 29) • Itis theref 0 rea t
least arguable that Locke's limitations on property do
not really constitute limitations at all.
At any rate, the individualist anarchists feel that
the essence of the Lockean doctrine is its justification
of private property as a "natural right." For
t hat r e'a son, wh eneveranyon e inthiss t ud Y i s referr e d
to asaL0 eke an - nat u r aIr i g h t s the 0 r istit wi 11 be
meant in this sense, i.e., that every man has a natural
right to his own body and by extension to the fruits of
his own labor.
(·17 ) AYn Ra n d, "Ma n 's Rig h t s ," Capitali s m : the
Unknown Ideal, ed. Ayn Rand (New York: Signet Books,
1967), p. 322.
(18)Murray Rothbard, "Justice and Property Rights,"
Egalitarianism As A Revolt Against Nature, and Other
E s say s (We s h i n g ton, D. C.: Lib e r tar ian Rev i ew Pr e s s ,
1974), p. 59.
(19)Ibid., pp. 59-60.
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