ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the connection between the individual and property. Natural law theory is subject to reification by its claim that there is property in a state of nature, prior to the state. Interpersonal relationships are particularly important in modern industrial economies, characterized by markets and division of labor. Such relationships are invisible, nonetheless, due to reification, or the naming of human relationships as objects. The contention is that reification is a significant factor in the use of language in modern economies, and in modern economics, which renders human institutions invisible. Language is an evolved capacity for communication among humans. Even internal soliloquy and dialogue take place by means of language, with explicit reasoning and articulate memories. Michel Foucault was also interested in Gary Becker’s notion of “human capital,” that is, enhancing the body as part of the opportunities of self-ownership and self-investment.
