Property Rights Property rights are the rules that allow people to own, use, buy, sell, or protect their property and possessions. Supporters argue that when people know their property is secure, they are more willing to invest, build, save, and plan for the future. Property rights are considered a foundation of free societies and market economies.
John Locke Why Individuals Matter Seventeenth-century English philosopher whose case for natural rights — life, liberty, and property — grounded the view that governments exist to protect individuals, not rule them. Thinker