ABSTRACT
Moral Character has occasionally been held that property should belong to the property-worthy. ‘Property-worthy’ has meant, variously, ‘one who will use property to good effect’, ‘one who will manage property well’, or just ‘one who is virtuous’. In each case the asserted ground for title to property rights is different, but in each case it is related to considerations of the moral character of the property-holder. Aristotle remarks, for example, that property-holding is necessary for developing self-control and liberality. In addition to the arguments based on property-worthiness, there is another issue raised by considerations of moral character. It is sometimes suggested that being an owner of things is a necessary condition for the development of some elements of virtuous character. Further, these arguments all assume that a general justification of property rights has been given, that it includes the sort of considerations brought forward in the general form of the utility argument.
