Editing Property (section)

==== Thomas Aquinas (13th century) ====
The canon law ''[[Decretum Gratiani]]'' maintained that mere human law creates property, repeating the phrases used by St. Augustine.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carlyle |first1=A.J. |title=Property: Its Duties and Rights |date=1913 |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |page=127 |url=https://archive.org/stream/propertyitsdutie00gorerich#page/127/mode/1up |access-date=4 April 2015}}  citing Decretum, D. viii. Part I.</ref>  [[St. Thomas Aquinas]] agreed with regard to the private consumption of property but modified patristic theory in finding that the private possession of property is necessary.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carlyle |first1=A.J. |title=Property: Its Duties and Rights |date=1913 |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |page=128 |url=https://archive.org/stream/propertyitsdutie00gorerich#page/128/mode/1up |access-date=4 April 2015}}</ref>  Thomas Aquinas concludes that, given certain detailed provisions,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3066.htm |title=Summa Theologica: Theft and robbery (Secunda Secundae Partis, Q. 66) |access-date=14 May 2015}}</ref>
* it is natural for man to possess external things
* it is lawful for a man to possess a thing as his own
* The essence of theft consists in taking another's thing secretly
* Theft and robbery are sins of different species, and robbery is a more grievous sin than theft
* theft is a sin; it is also a [[mortal sin]]
* it is, however, lawful to steal through stress of need:" in cases of need, all things are common property."