Pirates and Property Property is defined as a thing or things belonging to someone. How can we recognize that something belongs to someone? Historians often try to define and create a way to measure the value and legitimacy of property ownership. The legitimacy of property ownership issue didn’t become prominent until the Pirates of the 18th century came into play. According to the state, property value began to diminish after criminal groups such as the pirates began to steal property in the 1700’s. The legitimacy of property ownership cannot be recognized in cases that involve criminal means to obtain it, only through labor can legitimacy be measured.
The book Villians of All Nations, by Marcus Rediker explores the social world of pirates …show more content…
‘Labor’ is used by society as a way to create property. Locke continues to define a way to measure legitimacy in his Labor theory of property which states, “he has mixed his labor with, and joined it something that is his…makes it his property” (Locke 17). Labor creates a value on property and therefore measure the legitimacy of property ownership. It is the basis of property ownership and because labor makes up 9/10 effects on goods in the economy (Locke 25). When the pirates stole the slave ships they diminished the value of property because they did not labor for it. They used criminal means to attain wealth which goes against Locke’s philosophy. Although Locke’s law of nature emphasizes that despite being equal “no one ought to harm another in his life, liberty, or possessions” (Locke 5) This means that by harming someone else’s life or property you have broken the law of nature (better known as human reasoning). We see this in pirate’s socio-economic lifestyle which explains why pirates can’t consider what they stole their property. The legitimacy of property ownership cannot be recognized in cases that involve criminal means to obtain it. The pirates consider themselves a community of Robin Hoods that steal property from
The book Villians of All Nations, by Marcus Rediker explores the social world of pirates …show more content…
‘Labor’ is used by society as a way to create property. Locke continues to define a way to measure legitimacy in his Labor theory of property which states, “he has mixed his labor with, and joined it something that is his…makes it his property” (Locke 17). Labor creates a value on property and therefore measure the legitimacy of property ownership. It is the basis of property ownership and because labor makes up 9/10 effects on goods in the economy (Locke 25). When the pirates stole the slave ships they diminished the value of property because they did not labor for it. They used criminal means to attain wealth which goes against Locke’s philosophy. Although Locke’s law of nature emphasizes that despite being equal “no one ought to harm another in his life, liberty, or possessions” (Locke 5) This means that by harming someone else’s life or property you have broken the law of nature (better known as human reasoning). We see this in pirate’s socio-economic lifestyle which explains why pirates can’t consider what they stole their property. The legitimacy of property ownership cannot be recognized in cases that involve criminal means to obtain it. The pirates consider themselves a community of Robin Hoods that steal property from