Locke and Nozick

1
Locke and Nozick
Human Dignity
Should We Use Human Dignity to Make Business
Decisions?
2
Property as a Basic Right

• John Locke
• The right to life, liberty, and
  propertysupported by the fact that we are
  created by God.
• Property rights are natural, not artificial
• Government gets its authority from adult citizens
• Social contract
• Government can have no more rights than an
  individual person
• U.S. Declaration of Independence
• The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
  happiness

3
Nozick Natural Property Rights

• Nozick Property Rights are the anchor of human
  well-being
• How can we justify
• Property rights arising out of a state of nature
• Property rights obtained by trade or gift
• Rules protecting 1 and 2

4
Property Rights from a State of Nature

• Acquiring rights from a state of nature
• Lockes proviso must leave enough and good
  enough for others.
• Proviso only applies to primary goods
• Proviso is part of the nature of property, not an
  external constraint

5
Transfer of Property Rights

• Transfers are justified only if both parties
  consent
• Trade
• Gifts
• Potlatch system
• Legitimate transfers must not violate the Proviso
• Water, food shortages
• Castaways on your beach

6
Protecting Property Rights

• Rectifying violations of property rights
• Compensation
• Direct
• Substitution
• Cross-Generational problems