Property Rights & Morality (Child Development)

[David Ottinger]

My Thoughts:

 

I was wondering if anyone has gone through this study provided below and what their thoughts were on it.  My interpretation is that property rights (thus a sense of self and thus a sense of morality) is a naturally emerging phenomenon as spacial awareness is developed, i.e. it's all an extention of spacial awareness.  

 

 

From the study:

 

Abstract:

 

From the moment children say “ mine!” by 2 years of age , objects of possession change progressively from being experienced as primarily un-alienable property (i.e., something that is absolute or non negotiable), to being alienable (i.e., something that is negotiable in reciprocal exchanges). As possession begin s to be expe rienced as alienable, the child enters “moral space”, a socially normative and evaluative space made of perceived values that are either good or less good, and where accountability and reputation begin to play a prominent role. The aim of the article is to show the close developmental link between possession and morality .

 

 

 

Source:

http://www.psychology.emory.edu/cognition/rochat/lab/Possession%20and%20morality%20in%20early%20development%5B1%5D.pdf

[dsayers]

Animals have spatial awareness and demonstrate a territorial sense ("mine!"). These are not the foundations of property. Property begins with the capacity for reason. That is, the ability to conceptualize self, the other, formulate ideals, compare behaviors to ideals, and calculate consequences. It is true that morality follows property since morality is concerned with the preservation/violation of property.