What is Property? An Inquiry into the Principle of Right and of Government by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809 - 1865) · LibriVox

Chapter One, Part 1

·39 min·3 clips

Proudhon makes his famous declaration that property is robbery, transforming his earlier argument.

This episode presents the first part of Chapter One from Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's 1840 philosophical work, "What is Property?". The text is read by narrator Mike Nelson as a public domain LibriVox recording. Proudhon directly challenges the foundational concept of property in society. He begins by drawing a parallel between defining slavery as murder and defining property as robbery. Proudhon asserts that to enslave a person is to destroy their thought, will, and personality. He states his intent to discuss the vital principle of government and institutions. The author claims the right to present his investigation's conclusion first, even if he may be mistaken. He notes that some authorities teach property is a civil right born of occupation and law. Others maintain it is a natural right originating from labor. Proudhon finds it significant that these two doctrines are totally opposed to each other. The central, provocative claim is that property constitutes robbery, presented as a logical transformation of the slavery-equals-murder argument. His method involves placing his final, stark conclusion at the very beginning of his inquiry. The text establishes a formal, declarative, and polemical tone from the outset. Proudhon positions himself as an investigator exercising his intellectual right to question societal foundations. The narration is a straightforward, serious reading of a dense philosophical text. The style is purely expository and argumentative, without conversational elements. Listeners interested in political philosophy, anarchist thought, or critiques of economic systems will find this foundational. Those seeking a modern discussion or narrative podcast should skip this archival book reading.

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