The Power of Property Rights

Why are property rights important, even for those who own the least? Professor Tom W. Bell of Chapman University School of Law explains that property rights allow people to live together in peace, prosperity, and freedom. They prevent conflicts over scarce resources, encourage productive labor, and discourage waste. Bell bolsters his argument by drawing on classical liberal scholars such as Friedrich Hayek, Randy Barnett, Robert Nozick, and Ludwig von Mises.

Watch more videos: http://lrnlbty.co/y5tTcY

• Category

  Education

[jmfigone209]

The root of production is man’s mind; the mind is an attribute of the individual and it does not work under orders, controls and compulsion, as centuries of stagnation have demonstrated. Progress cannot be planned by government, and it cannot be restricted or retarded; it can only be stopped, as every statist government has demonstrated.

[JB3DProductions]

To the fools that can't seem to grasp the concept. The idea of property rights is just to established that someone owns something. This is an essential part of a civilised society. If something is previously unowned, someone can claim it, it then becomes their property. If we can't do this, then violent clashes over disputed ownership will arise. Anything can be own from land, to water, to air. Property rights serve the best interests of all parties.

[CertainCreekRanch]

The ideal world isn't here on earth.

There are many different area's and cultures. Not good or bad cultures but different cultures.

[Jeremy Mitchell]

Primitive cultures absolutely dealt with and deal with starvation on a regular basis. Despite averaging over 10 kids per female, these cultures rarely expanded since their mortality rate was so high.

[theMOCmaster]

What? Objectively primitive civilizations are not ideal communities. People living largely un-contacted today continue to live to sustain themselves through hard labor like hunting with spears. You are living the good life; you have a computer. I was able to see your comment because the internet took me here at light speed by reading a series of ones and zeroes. I can assure you that is a hell of a lot better than hunting and gathering to sustain myself.

[Merfsplace]

Crap.

[cors1lcc]

I really think in an ideal world, our mentality of pure individualism would not exist. Some tribes who are not yet badly influenced by our on-going crushing civilization had never had wars, or hunger or problems on their community, due to a complete sharing of their goods and assets. They go by the saying "I am because we are" If a person finds gold, taht person will be unhappy if he doesnt share it, because his happynes and his joy comes from being part of a happy community.

[Alistair Moss]

ohhh noooooooo!

[TheFracturedLogic]

13 people are communists

[fede2]

"I'm saying that you still need some entity (the government) to own it so that it is taken care of."

i don't agree. an individual cannot claim a monopoly, or rather cannot *enforce* such a claim, without a government recognizing the supposed legitimacy of the claim in the first place.

[Tom Forge]

My understanding is that you are saying that no one should have a right to own and have the final say over the river because then they could hoard resources. I'm saying that you still need some entity (the government) to own it so that it is taken care of.