NationStates Jolt Archive

This is a bit of a recurring theme for me, but it hasn't really been resolved, so I'll keep poking at it.

What do you think is the relationship between property rights and the right of association? If I can own a piece of land, and a computer with internet access, and a machine that makes food and drink for me, I could live by myself and not have to associate with other people. Any association I'd have with others would be completely voluntary.

If I didn't have a property right to these things, other people could squat on 'my' land, play with 'my' computer and eat 'my' food and drink (within limits). Depending on your view, I might also be obligated to use these resources to help people in need or want of them, since my temporary posession doesn't give me any right to withhold their benefits from others.

In the latter case, would my freedom to associate with other people be limited? Are property rights a necessity for freedom of association to exist?

I don't think property rights are necessary to maintain freedom of association. For one, said freedom, to be exercised to the extreme you've described (ie, NO association) is ONLY possible where space allows. If you're living in Jakarta, you're not going to be able to completely avoid contact with all other human beings, no matter how much property you own. Well...alright, theoretically it's possible, but you simply don't have the space for those interactions to all be voluntary or not.

Consider someone who is homeless, and essentially owns no property. They have the same ability to avoid all association with others as a person with property does. She also faces the same problems in terms of space...if she lives in a very crowded area, not all her associations will be voluntary, they will just be a function of her living in a sea of humanity.

Even with your property rights, these people could still squat on your land, etc, they'd just be doing it illegally. To get rid of them you'd need to associate with police to get them to enforce your property rights.

Thus your freedom of association is compromised.

I recommend getting your own planet.

What do you think is the relationship between property rights and the right of association?
Putting it simply, any property rights you claim puts duties relating to said property on others.

Without other people, there would be no point in claiming property rights. Your property rights limit, in some way, others' rights of association.