The Evolution of the Property Relation: Understanding Paradigms, Debates, and Prospects. By Ann E. Davis. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2015

摘要

As Ann Davis tells the reader, the concept of property has influenced concepts of ideal social arrangements since the Old Testament. Davis [p. 11] defines property as "an object, some form of an economically valuable resource, that an individual or corporate decision maker controls, which is defined, enforced, and protected by the state." It can be something tangible, such as a house, or something intangible, such as a financial instrument or share in a corporation. Davis argues that in modern capitalism, the market and state are organized to protect private property and facilitate its exchange. At the same time, the meaning of "property" has changed with the movement of history, and modern ideas of property have emerged from the same evolutionary process that has produced modern capitalism. Property is much more than simple possession.