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Quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

“What, I ask, has the fixed and solid nature of the earth to do with the right of appropriation? (...) But the creator of the land does not sell it: he gives it; and, in giving it, he is no respecter of persons. Why, then, are some of his children regarded as legitimate, while others are treated as bastards? If the equality of shares was an original right, why is the inequality of conditions a posthumous right?”

Quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Work

What is Property?

A philosophical examination of the nature of property rights and their role in shaping social and economic structures. more

Author

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) was a French political philosopher, writer, and considered the father of modern anarchism. In 1840, he published "What is Property?" where he famously declared "property is theft," which profoundly influenced socialist and anarchist thought. Proudhon advocated mutualism, opposed capitalist exploitation and state authority, and significantly influenced thinkers like Karl Marx and Mikhail Bakunin. His works including "The Philosophy of Poverty" remain important texts in political philosophy and social theory. more

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