Locke's & Marx's Views on Theory of Value & Property

Locke argues that labor is process through which humans create property out of that "which God gave to mankind in common." (Locke 18) That which was given in common is extracted through labor as a result of human reason. Reason, argues Locke, is God's gift to humankind so that people can make the best use of the goods, in common, of the earth. (Locke 18) Thus the reason that humans possess is a guide to the use of the planet's resources, such as, water, fruits, vegetables and animal products. Importantly, declares Locke, these resources "belong to mankind in common; and no body has originally a private dominion, exclusive of the rest of mankind, in any of them, as they are thus in their natural state." (Locke 19) But, Locke continues, there is built into the earth's resour

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selves (species being). (Marx 76-77) Locke as well envisions labor as the property of humans as dictated by the reason God gives human beings. (Locke 18-20) Thus both conclude that human labor invests itself into raw materials and creates its value. Why do they differ so sharply on the question of private property? Locke asserts that property begins with the process of labor. He then goes on to say that though God gave the world to all human beings to share in common, "it cannot be supposed that he meant it should always remain common" and is given for the use of the "industrious and rational." (Locke 21) The possession of property is the result of labor and in the beginning God gave humankind a right to property but eventually the common would become scarce and property ownership would depend upon a "positive agreement" between the commoners which would "settle a property." (Locke 28) Thus, where Marx sees labor as an absolute factor in the creation of property and value, Locke locates private property in the original investment of labor energy. Since what begins as common cannot remain so, private property emerges on a first-come, first-served basis. Private property, for Locke, is retrospective in that though it begins wit
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Approximate Word count = 2301
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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