Editing Property (section)

=== Ancient philosophy ===
[[Urukagina]], the king of the [[Sumer]]ian city-state [[Lagash]], established the first laws that forbade compelling the sale of property.<ref>[[Samuel Noah Kramer]]. "From the Tablets of Sumer: Twenty-Five Firsts in Man's Recorded History." Indian Hills: The Falcon's Wing Press, 1956.</ref>

The Bible in [[Leviticus]] 19:11 and 19:13 states that the [[Israelites]] are not to steal.<ref>{{bibleverse|Leviticus|19:11-13|HE}}</ref>

[[Aristotle]], in ''Politics,'' advocates "private property".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/p/pipes-property.html|title=Property and Freedom|website=www.nytimes.com|access-date=2018-01-10}}</ref> He argues that self-interest leads to neglect of the commons. "[T]hat which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it. Everyone thinks chiefly of his own, hardly at all of the common interest, and only when he is himself concerned as an individual."<ref>This bears some similarities to the over-use argument of Garrett Hardin's "[[Tragedy of the Commons]]."</ref>

In addition, he says that when property is common, there are natural problems that arise due to differences in labor: "If they do not share equally enjoyments and toils, those who labor much and get little will necessarily complain of those who labor little and receive or consume much. But indeed, there is always a difficulty in men living together and having all human relations in common, but especially in their having common property." ([http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/bnccde/PH19C/tutorial10.html ''Politics, 1261b34''])

[[Cicero]] held that there is no private property under [[natural law]] but only under [[human law]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carlyle |first1=A.J. |title=Property: Its Duties and Rights |date=1913 |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |page=121 |url=https://archive.org/stream/propertyitsdutie00gorerich#page/122/mode/1up |access-date=4 April 2015}}  citing Cicero, [[De officiis]], i. 7, "Sunt autem privata nulla natura".</ref>  [[Seneca the Younger|Seneca]] viewed property as only becoming necessary when men become avaricious.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carlyle |first1=A.J. |title=Property: Its Duties and Rights |date=1913 |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |page=122 |url=https://archive.org/stream/propertyitsdutie00gorerich#page/122/mode/1up |access-date=4 April 2015}} citing Seneca, Epistles, xiv, 2.</ref>  [[St. Ambrose]] later adopted this view and [[St. Augustine]] even derided heretics for complaining the Emperor could not confiscate property they had labored for.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carlyle |first1=A.J. |title=Property: Its Duties and Rights |date=1913 |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |page=125 |url=https://archive.org/stream/propertyitsdutie00gorerich#page/125/mode/1up |access-date=4 April 2015}}</ref>