Property and Human Flourishing


Book Description

Many people assume that what morally justifies private ownership of property is either individual freedom or social welfare, defined in terms of maximizing personal preference-satisfaction. This book offers an alternative way of understanding the moral underpinning of private ownership of property. Rather than identifying any single moral value, this book argues that human flourishing, understood as morally pluralistic and objective, is property's moral foundation. The book goes on to develop a theory that connects ownership and human flourishing with obligations. Owners have obligations to members of the communities that enabled the owners to live flourishing lives by cultivating in their community members certain capabilities that are essential to leading a well-lived life. These obligations are rooted in the interdependence that exists between owners and their community members, and inherent in the human condition. Obligations have always been inherent in ownership. Owners are not free to inflict nuisances upon their neighbors, for example, by operating piggeries in residential neighborhoods. The human flourishing theory explains why owners at times have obligations that enable their fellow community members to develop certain necessary capabilities, such as health care and security. This is why, for example, farm owners may be required to allow providers of health care and legal assistance to enter their property to assist employees who are migrant workers. Moving from the abstract and theoretical to the practical, this book considers implications for a wide variety of property issues of importance both in the literature and in modern society. These include questions such as: When is a government's expropriation of property legitimated for the reason it is for public use? May the owner of a historic or architecturally significant house destroy it without restriction? Do institutions that owned African slaves or otherwise profited from the slave trade owe any obligations to members of the African-American community? What insights may be gained from the human flourishing concept into resolving current housing problems like homelessness, eviction, and mortgage foreclosure?




Property and Human Flourishing


Book Description

Many people assume that what morally justifies private ownership of property is either individual freedom or social welfare, defined in terms of maximizing personal preference-satisfaction. This book offers an alternative way of understanding the moral underpinning of private ownership of property. Rather than identifying any single moral value, this book argues that human flourishing, understood as morally pluralistic and objective, is property's moral foundation. The book goes on to develop a theory that connects ownership and human flourishing with obligations. Owners have obligations to members of the communities that enabled the owners to live flourishing lives by cultivating in their community members certain capabilities that are essential to leading a well-lived life. These obligations are rooted in the interdependence that exists between owners and their community members, and inherent in the human condition. Obligations have always been inherent in ownership. Owners are not free to inflict nuisances upon their neighbors, for example, by operating piggeries in residential neighborhoods. The human flourishing theory explains why owners at times have obligations that enable their fellow community members to develop certain necessary capabilities, such as health care and security. This is why, for example, farm owners may be required to allow providers of health care and legal assistance to enter their property to assist employees who are migrant workers. Moving from the abstract and theoretical to the practical, this book considers implications for a wide variety of property issues of importance both in the literature and in modern society. These include questions such as: When is a government's expropriation of property legitimated for the reason it is for public use? May the owner of a historic or architecturally significant house destroy it without restriction? Do institutions that owned African slaves or otherwise profited from the slave trade owe any obligations to members of the African-American community? What insights may be gained from the human flourishing concept into resolving current housing problems like homelessness, eviction, and mortgage foreclosure?




An Introduction to Property Theory


Book Description

This book surveys the leading modern theories of property - Lockean, libertarian, utilitarian/law-and-economics, personhood, Kantian and human flourishing - and then applies those theories to concrete contexts in which property issues have been especially controversial. These include redistribution, the right to exclude, regulatory takings, eminent domain and intellectual property. The book highlights the Aristotelian human flourishing theory of property, providing the most comprehensive and accessible introduction to that theory to date. The book's goal is neither to cover every conceivable theory nor to discuss every possible facet of the theories covered. Instead, it aims to make the major property theories comprehensible to beginners, without sacrificing accuracy or sophistication. The book will be of particular interest to students seeking an accessible introduction to contemporary theories of property, but even specialists will benefit from the book's lucid descriptions of contemporary debates.




Public Property, Law and Society


Book Description

This book examines the almost entirely neglected realm of public property, identifying and describing a number of key organizing principles around which a nascent jurisprudence of public property may be developed. In property law terms, the public realm is lost to plain view. Despite the vast acreage of public lands, or the extensive tracts of private lands over which public rights subsist, there is little commensurate scholarly discussion of the ideas, theories, practices, and laws of public property. This is no accident. Public property has been marginalized and pushed to the periphery for centuries, a consequence of the dominant discourse of private property, and its enclosing, encroaching tendencies. This book explores the rich diversity of the public estate, of what the public realm means for us, the general public, canvassing what we may ‘own’, where we may ‘belong’, or not, and how we may ‘connect’ through a shared use and enjoyment of public place and space. To better understand public property is to better value its critical public-wealth. Whether overlooked, over-used, or under threat of imminent loss, this book maintains that our loved (and not so loved) public spaces are essential components of our diverse, functioning, and optimistically livable human geographies. As such, they demand legal protection. This important and original book will be of considerable interest to scholars and others with interests in property and land law, socio-legal studies, legal geography and urban studies.




Human Flourishing


Book Description

'A careful and thoughtful provocation' (Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury) Ambitiously placed at the intersection of scientific insights and spiritual wisdom, Human Flourishing prompts us to reflect on what constitutes a good life and the choices that can help achieve it. For thousands of years, humans have asked 'Why we are here?' and 'What makes for a good life?' At different times, different answers have held sway. Nowadays, there are more answers proposed than ever. Much of humanity still finds the ultimate answers to such questions in religion. But in countries across the globe, secular views are widely held. In any event, whether religious or secular, individuals, communities and governments still have to make decisions about what people get from life. This book therefore examines what is meant by human flourishing and see what it has to offer for those seeking after truth, meaning and purpose. This is a book written for anyone who wants a future for themselves, their children, and their fellow humans - a future that enables flourishing, pays due consideration to issues of truth and helps us find meaning and purpose in our lives. At a time when most of us are bombarded with messages about what we should or should not do to live healthily, attain a work-life balance and find meaning, a careful consideration of the contributions of both scientific insight and spiritual wisdom provides a new angle. This is therefore a book that not only helps readers clarify their views and see things afresh but also help them improve their own well-being in an age of AI and other new technologies.




Economic Freedom and Human Flourishing


Book Description

Is economic liberty necessary for individuals to lead truly flourishing lives? Whether your immediate answer is yes or no, this question is deceptively simple. What do we mean by liberty? What constitutes the flourishing life? How are these related? How is economic liberty related to other goods that affect human flourishing? To answer these questions—and more—this volume brings to bear some of history’s greatest thinkers, interpreted by some of today’s leading scholars of their thought.




Property


Book Description

Jesse Dukeminier’s trademark wit, passion, and human interest perspective has made Property, now in its Tenth Edition, one of the best—and best loved—casebooks of all time. A unique blend of authority and good humor, you’ll find a moveable feast of visual interest, compelling cases, and timely coverage of contemporary issues. In the Tenth Edition, the authors have created a thoughtful and thorough revision, true to the spirit of the classic Property text. New to the Tenth Edition: Newly unearthed American case law on litigation over wild animals prior to Pierson v. Post (Chapter 1). The addition of primary cases the Supreme Court decided in 2020 concerning statutory annotations (Chapter 3). A new case added to the life estate section and a new recent case on defeasible fees (Chapter 4). A new primary case on whether landlords can be liable for tenant-on-tenant harassment under the Fair Housing Act, expanded coverage of anti-discrimination law, problems with eviction proceedings, COVID-19 eviction moratoria at the federal and state levels, rent control, and the section 8 program (Chapter 7). Completely rewritten Chapter 8 with new cases added on reverse redlining and purchase money mortgage. A new primary case on the effects of improper along with a new discussion of the comparative virtues of rectangular parcels versus irregular metes-and-bounds parcels (Chapter 9). New cases on easements by estoppel; termination of covenants; the Virginia Lee statue case; new material added in the notes to reflect recent developments (e.g., Uniform Easement Relocation Act, SCOTUS decision in Cow River Preservation) (Chapter 11). New notes on recent moves to end single family zoning; new important case on aesthetic zoning (Chapter 12). A re-organized Chapter 13 including a new extended introduction to the police power cases preceding Hadacheck and running through Cedar Point Nursery, a new primary case from 2021; Tahoe-Sierra replaces Murr v. Wisconsin as a primary case; new coverage of cases involving Hurricane-related floods that the government failed to prevent; revised discussion of ripeness doctrine to reflect Knick v. Township of Scott; expanded discussion of doctrine concerning government decisions to make personal property contraband; and takings litigation over state and federal bans on bump stocks. Professors and students will benefit from: Retains the late Jesse Dukeminier’s unique blend of wit, erudition, insight, and playfulness. A dynamic casebook, encompassing cases, text, questions, problems, visual illustrations, and examples. Modular organization makes the book highly adaptable to a range of syllabi. Inclusive coverage runs the full range of property topics, including in-depth treatments of estates and future interests, servitudes, and land-use controls. Authors employ an accessible “economic lens” as a tool for thinking critically about property law. Extensive research into the backstories of many primary cases, yielding insights that are useful for teaching and understanding the legal landmarks




The Oxford Handbook of Political Philosophy


Book Description

This volume includes 22 new pieces by leading political philosophers, on traditional issues (such as authority and equality) and emerging issues (such as race, and money in politics). The pieces are clear and accessible will interest both students and scholars working in philosophy, political science, law, economics, and more.




The Idea of Property in Law


Book Description

In The Idea of Property in Law, Penner considers the concept of property and its place in the legal environment. Penner proposes that the idea of property as a "bundle of rights" - the right to possess, the right to use, the right to destroy etc. - is deficient as a concept, failing toeffectively characterise any particular sort of legal relation, and evading attempts to decide which rights are critical to the "bundle".Through a thorough exploration of property rules, property rights, and the interests which property serves and protects, Penner develops an alternative interpretation and goes on to consider how property interacts with the broader legal system.




A Liberal Theory of Property


Book Description

Property law should expand opportunities for individual and collective self-determination and restrict options of interpersonal domination.