To the individual can belong only the products to be consumed, not the means of producing them. A man may own his clothes and his food, but not the sewing-machine which makes his shirts or the spade which digs his potatoes.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Individuals should own what they consume, not the tools or means used to produce those goods.
- In plain terms
- Own your clothes and food, not the machines that make them.
- What can you take from it?
- Distinguish between personal property and means of production.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What should individuals own?
- Who controls production tools?
Another view
Modern economies often blur lines between personal and production property.
More from Benjamin Tucker
First, then, State Socialism, which may be described as the doctrine that all the affairs of men should be managed by the government, regardless of individual …
Permalink to quote #4 Product and capital are essentially different things; the former belongs to individuals, the latter to society.
Permalink to quote #6 Socialism, on the contrary, extends its function to the description of society as it should be, and the discovery of the means of making it what it should be.
Permalink to quote #3
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