Property : Meanings, Histories, Theories - Margaret  Davies

Property

Meanings, Histories, Theories

By: Margaret Davies

Paperback | 22 November 2007 | Edition Number 1

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The idea of property carries both extensive symbolic resonance and significant practical implications in contemporary Western societies. Traditional legal works on property necessarily emphasise formal legal regimes of property ownership. Traditional works on the philosophy of property, in particular those which have been produced within liberal political contexts, consider the ontology of property, its relationship to individualism, and economic justifications for its existence. My aim in this work is to produce a critique of property, examining its classical treatments in a more cultural-symbolic framework. For instance, traditional justifications of private property relate it to the nature and needs of the individual, where the individual is seen (like property) as a self-contained, exclusive entity. Feminist and race-based critiques of this property ideology emphasise the complicity of property and hegemonic conceptions of masculinity and whiteness (see, eg Jennifer Nedelsky, Cheryl Harris). One aim of the book is therefore to examine the ways in which concepts of property are symbolically and practically connected to social relations of power. A second aim is to consider and critique the 'objects' of property in changing contexts of materialism. Third, the book will explore challenges to the Western idea of property posed by colonial and post-colonial contexts, such as the disempowerment through property of whole cultures, the justifications for colonial expansion, and biopiracy. These broad themes will be considered in four central chapters dealing with the symbolism of property, its history, traditional philosophical accounts, and cultural difference.
Industry Reviews

"Property is a core concept of Western political and legal thought. Exactly what property is, how property rights can be defined and justified, and how its meaning has changed over time is a matter of significant debate. Davies (Flinders Univ., Australia) sketches out a compact, sophisticated, and often challenging discussion of property, seeking to engage the concept from multiple perspectives...the author does an excellent job addressing the complexity and multiple meanings associated with property. The feminist-property connection is especially interesting. Good for collections on law, feminism, and political theory." -- D. Schultz, CHOICE, May 2008

"... eminently readable, lucid and thought-provoking. ...anyone with even the most basic acquaintance with and interest in property theory will find it thoroughly rewarding." - Alison Clarke, King's Law Journal, Vol. 19 No. 3 (2008)

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