Liberal Property for Skeptics

Abstract

This paper forms part of a book symposium on “A Liberal Theory of Property” hosted by the Law and Political Economy Project. It replies to reviews by David Singh Grewal & Jedediah Britton-Purdy, Nestor Davidson, Rashmi Dyal-Chand, Katharina Pistor, Ezra Rosser, and Lua Yuille. The response succinctly recaps the book’s core thesis and then addresses the reviewers’ two main challenges: whether liberal property is potentially self-destructive, and whether it might be a distracting utopia. These concerns are important and fair; and they help refine the mission and vision of “A Liberal Theory of Property” as well as the background regime which is crucial for liberal property’s actual success.