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CHAPTER 2:<br />

CAPITALISM<br />

Capitalism is an economic system based on private<br />

ownership, the protection of property rights,<br />

rule of law, and voluntary exchange. Capitalism<br />

is the economic component of Locke’s liberalism, 1 which<br />

starts with the concept of self-ownership. Because people<br />

own their labor, they come to own property when they<br />

combine their labor with unowned resources. Property<br />

ownership implies that owners can use their property as<br />

they want, as long as they do not violate others’ rights.<br />

They can sell or trade it, give it away, or lend it to others.<br />

Transfers of economic resources under capitalism occur<br />

through voluntary agreement and voluntary exchange,<br />

and because people have the right to decide how they<br />

will use their property, they may make any exchanges<br />

they want to. The role of the government in a capitalist<br />

economy is to protect individuals’ rights.<br />

While Locke offered a moral foundation for a capitalist<br />

economy based on self-ownership, this moral foundation<br />

is not necessary for capitalism to be understood<br />

as the economic component of liberalism. Capitalism is<br />

economic liberalism because it protects property rights,<br />

because interpersonal interactions are voluntary, and<br />

CAPITALISM 15

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