Love, Political Economy and the Importance of Private Property Essay

Love, Political Economy and the Importance of Private Property - Essay Example The difference between both the ancient writers is of viewing an issue from different perspectives. Rousseau is right in his perspective but Locke is not wrong when he deems property rights adding to the welfare of humanity in various ways. Rousseau has forcefully raised the issue of property while reflecting on property, the basis of modern politics. Rousseau finds the idea of right to private property quite disturbing as it promotes inequality among men and lacks the legitimacy. Both Rousseau and Locke are on the opposing sides on the individual right to property so much that Locke finds a solution to the political problem in the right to property while Rousseau finds it a cause of incessant misery of man. Rousseau’s criticism of the property right should not be considered as he is a supporter of communist viewpoint of getting away with private property. Actually, Rousseau is abnormally â€Å"realistic† to the limit of going against laissez-faire (Orwin and Tarcov 152). Rousseau wants government interference in limiting the desire to own property, to control inequality of luck, and to subdue the severe competition, and reduce the feeling of possession among people. On the other side, Locke considers the right to property as the right way to peace, as property right is more downright. Locke desires the economic system over the right to property to be deemed with reverence by the authority. A government provides security to the property owner, allowing the person to be least worried over any aggression to the individual’s property (Orwin and Tarcov 151). Locke, in the Second Treatise of Government, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in On the Origin of Inequality, address the notion of acquiring private property. Locke favors property rights of individuals by arguing that property rights encourage human rights. Locke views property from the perspective of human right. On the contrary,