Page:Property and Improperty.djvu/14



the existence and the sense of Property, the exclusive acquisition and use of material objects that are scarce and desirable, have been important factors in the life of man. The possession of good land, for cultivation or for cattle, good access to food, clothing, shelter, the ownership of tools, weapons, totems, ornaments, by particular growps or by individuals and classes within a group, have always been objects of personal or co-operative effort. Such ownership, or property, has been desired and striven for, partly, for pleasurable consumption, partly, as means to further acquisition of consumable goods, but also for power over other human beings and for the prestige