ABSTRACT
One of the main questions of political philosophy concerns the justification of private property and its legitimate ownership. Most of the early modern contractarian theories placed the issue of private property at the centre of their argument. It was used to justify the sovereign’s rule and authority as well as the citizens’ duty to obey. In this context, I will look at two dimensions of legitimate ownership: First, how the right to private property was normatively justified in early modern contractarianism and, second, in which ways private property in the form of material goods could be legitimately acquired according to these theories. After closely examining each of these two positions regarding the rights of ownership and the normative value they place on private property, I will continue to look at the status of women in two exemplary property theories. John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau presented several influential hypotheses concerning the status of women and their place in society and in the household. I will conclude by critically assessing both lines of argument, especially with regard to their considerations regarding the legal and civic status of female members within the state.
