One of the greatest mysteries of Locke’s labor/self-ownership
theory is the idea that acquisition is the result of mixing
one’s labor with something. (quick breakdown: in the state of
nature according to Locke, “God gave the world to mankind in
common” therefore his question is how a person can legitimately
take something from the commons as his own, or assert ownership.
He therefore makes the claim that (1) we are self-owners and,
(2) my labor is a part of me. Thus, when I mix my labor with
something of the commons, it legitimately becomes my property)
The problem with this theory comes through Locke’s use of the
word ‘mix.’ How exactly, does Locke intend for us to ‘mix’ our
labor with a physical object? Because labor is an intangible,
metaphysical concept, it clearly cannot literally be mixed into
something physical. To attempt to decipher Locke’s intended
metaphor then, we must attempt to view the problem from the same
metaphysical plane as Locke. Thus, its crucial to understand the
mindset and value prefe