: Qx: You can't avoid any debate whatsover about human nature when alternate systems of society are speculated upon. Communal living doesn't mean people will only care about what is theirs. The Israeli kibbutzim are a fine example of that.
: Then also there is a distinction that has to be made between property and possessions. First of all, private land ownership is not that permanent because nobody can truly own the land like some rightwing Libertarians would like to think.: Personal possessions are another thing. Like my toohbrush or clothes. Those are mine and you can't have them. At least not in a communal society that makes that distinction between private property and personal possessions.
This is the entire issue, as to what constitutes personal possessions and how far they can be extended into society and our economic structuring. For any informative discussion one needs to go back to the Lockean proviso,John Lockes'theory of private property of what a person can appropriate for themselves. He did say that a person should only appropriate that which leaves enough for others. He propounded that a person can take that which he mixes his labour with. However once a system is established which institutes private property through a monetary mechanism (ie a store of a persons labour mix), the entire capitalist structure becomes necessary and limitless accumulation is then justified. It is to a modification of Lockes theory that an alternative solution for capitalism could be achieved? (Possibly?)I have the feeling that it is fundamentally flawed, but also very convincing.
His theory led to the justification of the colonisations which took place around the time of his writings. His theory is also very relevant to the environmental debate, as it exposes his theory in rudimentary form - what can be taken from the earth. If that theory were modified to exclude the justification of limitless store of wealth (ie labour mix), perhaps it would work - or perhaps its just the inherent failure of any consitant, fair wage structure!
