Locke's theory of property is that the only thing that you own is your body, your body produces labor therefore whatever you put your labor into that becomes your property. Therefore what Locke is stating is that everything on earth is of common use and belongs to everyone, it is not until someone puts their labor into an object and that object becomes that person's property. Thus in this case the only thing that Stan owned was his body and his body produced labor by stirring the soup therefore that soup became Stan's property. Although the soup kitchen is a communal place for homeless or needy families, if Stan wanted to charge the people at the soup kitchen for stirring the soup than he could simply because he instilled his labor into it. In Locke's theory his ideology is that money is a form of stored labor that a person has and can be used in order to gain property.
In life we encounter Locke's theory daily, for example, when we purchase vegetables from a local farmer, those vegetables become ours, although the farmer has put his labor into the crops we used our money to purchase them which makes it our property. Can you think of something that you do that relates to Locke's theory?
A very unique source to relate to Locke. I completely agree with you on the idea that Stan's actions relate to Locke's views on property. Stan by stirring the soup, indeed instilled his labor and made that soup his own. The question i would as is if his wife stirred it first, then did that not make it hers to begin with? Is it acceptable under Locke's theory to call something your own when someone else has already instilled their labor upon it? I also have to add, on a side not, that the comment Stan makes in this episode about the homeless people are basically lazy people that do not want to labor and acquire their own property is very disturbing in our current situation, because it is not that these people choose to be homeless but with our current economy and the lack of jobs, the opportuunity to labor for their own possessions is not available to them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, Keely. It's a very interesting moment in daily life: We invest our labors then we get the stuffs. According Locke's argument, labor is one and the ONLY power human have to grab the world to take whatever they need for supporting life. While in your post, I don't think the soup is a necessity for Sten. Even he stirred it, put his labor, he can still in a well-life without the bowl of soup. So in Locke's view, it's kind of stolen from others.
ReplyDeleteI wish i could have seen this episode. I agree with you that he could have charged for the soup. Its interesting how this would apply to Locke because according to locke this would pertain to him. I have an issue to bring up... would the soup actually belong to him or would it also be the wife's. She is putting her labor also and she is the one serving it. I also agree with wenjuan... THere is no way he will eat the soup and it will end up spoiling wich will result in stealing and these people cant afford to buy it from him either. Very interesting.
ReplyDelete