A Study Of Macpherson’s Possessive Individualism Property Theory

The core of Locke’s political theory,the theory of property,is the cornerstone of the construction of Western political society.The Property contains the values of freedom and equality,so once put forward,it has been vigorously advocated by western capitalist countries and has been used in the capitalist system.But now,after centuries of development and evolution,the theory of property has been given various interpretations and values in different times.Among them,C.B.Mc Pherson,a political philosopher of the 20 th century,has carried a research to the theory of property based on the criticism of contemporary capitalist society and the liberal crisis faced by western society.Mc Pherson’s theory was named possessive individualism by him,but also presented a new status in the case of the theory of property.In the Theory of property interpreted by possessive individualism,human nature is possessive human nature,and the society composed of such people is a possessive market society.This interpretation makes obviously distinction between traditional argument and Mc Pherson’s,but Mc Pherson believes that only such an interpretation can explain the vagueness of the property right argument.furthermore,It can find a way to solve the predicament faced by liberalism in western society at present.Macpherson’s possessive interpretation has been severely criticized by the Cambridge school,but at the same time,it has also been recognized by Strauss,a modern critic.The author believes that,from the perspective of possessive individualism,can a new property right theory be constructed,and whether Mc Pherson’s interpretation is worthy of criticism or advocacy,it needs to return to the original argument of Locke’s property theory.This article will use Macpherson’s perspective to trace Locke’s property theory,and explore the open meaning and value of Locke’s property theory with the path of possessive individualism.The first part introduces the different interpretations and arguments of Locke’s property right theory by representative schools and scholars,and leads to the research object of this article,that is Macpherson’s possessive individualist property right theory.The second part,from the perspective of Macpherson’s possessive individualism theory,specifically demonstrates the possessive individuals and the possessive marketsociety in Locke’s property rights theory,and constructs the possessive individualist property rights theory in Macpherson’s views.The third part is to study how Macpherson interprets property rights theory with possessive individualism theory,that is,to explore the two approaches of Macpherson to interpret property rights theory,and to demonstrate whether the interpretation of possessive individualism can be proved to be Locke’s property rights theory.In the fourth part,through Macpherson ’s alienation of human nature and social relations in Locke ’s theory of property rights,this article traces back to Locke ’s concrete demonstration of the theory of property rights,and on this basis,excavates Locke ’s theory of property rights.The contradiction,and the implicit presupposition in the concrete reasoning of his argument,restore the original meaning of the property right theory.The fifth part,based on Macpherson’s interpretation,analyzes the criticism and resonance,controversy and reflection brought by possessive individualistic interpretation,and explores the open value of property rights theory on this basis.