Self-ownership

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Self-ownership is a term from the theory of anarchism , in particular individualistic anarchism and libertarianism ( anarcho-capitalism ). It stands for the conviction that a person alone has control over their body and way of life. "Selbsteigentum" is a loan word and comes from the English "self-ownership", which was introduced by North American authors such as Josiah Warren , Benjamin R. Tucker and others towards the end of the 19th century. In German, the post-Hegelian philosopher Max Stirner coined the term “owner” (of himself) as early as 1845 in his book The Single and His Property , which, however, does not coincide with that of the Anglo-Saxon “self-owner”.

Often the word simply describes the conviction that everyone is entitled to the fruits of their own labor (unless they are contractually made available to others).

The concept is intended to draw the line between the area of ​​responsibility of the individual and that of the community . According to him, the state must not rule over the individual, precisely because the person belongs to himself. The advocates of self-ownership argue that restrictions are only permitted in self-defense.

With the help of self-ownership, some of the fundamental rights can be established. For example, everyone has the right to express their opinion freely, because their body belongs to them and they alone can decide how they want to use it. The right to life and physical integrity can be justified in a similar way.

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