Lockean Intellectual Property Refuted
Locke’s theory of property is irreconcilable with intellectual property. Property-like titles in ideal objects cannot be introduced within the framework of the natural law, because they could constrain others from acts necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, followers of Locke’s theory of politi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Bologna
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Scienza & Politica |
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| Online Access: | https://scienzaepolitica.unibo.it/article/view/12076 |
| Summary: | Locke’s theory of property is irreconcilable with intellectual property. Property-like titles in ideal objects cannot be introduced within the framework of the natural law, because they could constrain others from acts necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, followers of Locke’s theory of politics choose to belittle this conclusion and even Locke himself supported early copyright legislation. The inconsistency is important, for it depicts the problem of legitimization of intellectual property as political and demonstrates liberal reification of various aspects of social life. |
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| ISSN: | 1590-4946 1825-9618 |