Is there a right to private property? There is no federal regulation in our Constitution regarding the ownership of property by individuals, which leaves any property under license to the State. When talking about private property, the main topic is someone's ability to own or control something. However, there is no right to private property because the concept of property has no real value or meaning and because private property is a system of individual decision making in a world where working together in harmony is often emphasized. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Ownership is a very subjective word that changes for each person who uses it. Some, Lockean believers, would say that there is a natural inclination for private property, while devil's advocate believe that property rights are not natural, but rather that they are formed through a social hierarchy and maintained through ability to assert or defend these rights. Hobbes and Hume were supporters of the latter position because they believed that there was no natural “mine” or “thine.” To fully understand the debate between the two, a definition of the word “property” is needed. As printed in the Oxford Dictionary, the word “property” is defined as: the act, state, or right of owning something. Supporters of the natural right to private property believed that mixing one's labor with it to improve it transformed it from public to private. They believed that using one's natural right to one's body to change or improve something was equivalent to owning, yet making a claim based on a word defined solely by social construction cannot be considered a valid assumption. As a society we decided to give a definition to the word property but it never existed before the word was constructed. Plato argued that collective ownership is necessary to promote the common pursuit of a common interest, which makes sense because with private property the pursuit of everything will be in the best interests of a single “owner.” To ensure that all people are committed to trying to achieve a common goal, it is necessary to reveal the common benefits so that more effort can be devoted to one thing rather than to many personal goals at the same time. If private property were a right for every individual, things would get confusing very quickly. If there is a disagreement between two individuals regarding ownership, as will be inevitable because each individual has an individual goal and purpose, the state still has to intervene, so why not take shortcuts and start with the state giving them control before the singularity of private property causes problems. Consensus is necessary because everyone is affected by decisions about the use and control of a given set of resources. In support of this theory there are the philosophies of Immanuel Kant and Jean-Jaques Rousseau. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Individual rights relating to private property are not listed in our Constitution, so we cannot assume that they exist. Ownership cannot be assumed on the basis of Locke's work principle. Therefore, in conclusion, there is no right to private property because property cannot be defined distinctly and individually as a thing, and because the State holds a power over the control of property.