The origins of left-libertarianism : an anthology of historical writings

This book contains the historically most important discussions of the philosophical foundations of left-libertarianism. It addresses questions such as: What exactly is self-ownership? What are the principle objections to it, and how powerful are they? What are the most plausible views about ownership of natural resourcesw? Do they imply joint ownership and collective-decision making? Do they allow private appropriation? How is the social fund generated from such payments to be spent? Is it to be divided equally? Is it to be used to purchase public goods? Is it to be devoted to promoting equality of opportunity? Includes selections from Groitus, Pufendorf, Locke, Paine, Mill, George, Walras and others.

This book contains the historically most important discussions of the philosophical foundations of left-libertarianism. Like the more familiar right-libertarianism (such as that of Nozick), left-libertarianism holds that agents own themselves (and thus owe no service the others expect as the result of voluntary action). Unlike right-libertarianism, however, left-libertarianism holds that natural resources are owned by the members of society in some egalitarian manner, and may be appropriated only with their permission, or with a significant payment to them.

• Preface A Note on the Translations Introduction: Left-Libertarianism: Historical Origins
• J.Cunliffe The General Right of Things
• H.Grotius On the Origin of Dominion
• S.Pufendorf Of Slavery and Property
• J.Locke Of the Right of Property in Land as Derived from the Law of Nature
• W.Ogilvie Rights of Usufruct and Future Generations
• T.Jefferson The Real Rights of Man
• T.Spence Agrarian Justice
• T.Paine Land, Labor, and Property
• H.de Colin Christian Socialism
• F.Huet On Property
• P.E.Dove On Property and the General Principles of Taxation
• J.S.Mill The Rights of Life, Personal Liberty, and the Use of the Earth
• H.Spencer The Injustice of Private Property in Land
• H.George The Theory of Property
• L.Walras What Shall the Decision Be?
• E.Rignano Index