Observations on Property in Robinson Crusoe and Second...

Observations on Property in Robinson Crusoe and Second Treatise People have been fighting over land and possessions since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. But what actually constitutes the ownership of property? In the eighteenth century John Locke and Daniel Defoe addressed this question. In his Second Treatise, Locke defends the rights of people to property and he explains the basis for obtaining and maintaining dominion over it. In Robinson Crusoe, Defoe suggests a definition of property that concurs in part with Lockes, which indicates that people can claim ownership of property when they have added their labor to some part of it. In addition, Locke stipulates, according to principles of the rational use of†¦show more content†¦There is a serious question as to whether any of his claims can be justified, at least in accordance with Lockean views. Defoe does seem, at least in part, to agree with such views. This seems appropriate since both men lived during an era when the economy was changing so quickly that the issue of propert y was often debated. However, Defoe seems to take possessiveness, ownership, and dominion or power through ownership even further than Locke does. While both men held similar views on property, the influences on them were different. A predominant influence on Locke was that, from the late seventeenth to the early eighteenth century, the last vestiges of feudalism were disappearing and capitalism was beginning to develop. Despite the gradual move toward industrialism, agriculture was still the occupation of the majority. Land was beginning to be viewed by many as a capital investment for profit making. It was viewed also as an indication of social position and political power (Wood 16). Locke shared these views and felt that land was the key to a viable social order, serving not only as a source of food but also as a supplier of raw materials necessary for the system of domestic and foreign commerce. While he defended the principle of self-preservation, he argued that the fundamental law of nature is the preservation of society, which takes precedence over self-preservation. Locke thought that government has the right and the du ty