John Locke’s Theory and Its Implications

30 vocabulary flashcards based on John Locke's theory, its implications regarding Indigenous peoples, property rights, and colonial narratives.

Mixing Labor with Nature

The process by which individuals combine their labor with natural resources to create ownership of property.

Doctrine of Discovery

A legal principle giving explorers authorization to claim land deemed 'terra nullius' even if inhabited.

Terra Nullius

Lands considered empty or uninhabited, allowing colonizers to claim them without contest.

Primitive Accumulation

The separation of producers from their means of production, establishing conditions for capitalist economies.

Self-Ownership

The concept that individuals have rights over their own bodies and labor.

Reasoned Labor

A term used primarily to justify agricultural practices by European men, viewed as rational and productive.

Appropriating Common Resources

The act of taking common resources for personal use, as justified within Locke's argument.

European Property Justification

Based on gendered hierarchies, excluding women and non-Europeans from ownership rights.

Racialized Property Justification

The justification of property in the Americas, primarily excluding Indigenous peoples based on race.

Divine Justification of Land Ownership

The belief that God intended for individuals to cultivate the land and establish property rights.

The Role of Labor in Property Creation

Locke argues labor adds value to natural resources, thus justifying ownership.

Locke’s Perspective on Indigenous Peoples

Treats Indigenous peoples as incapable of rational labor, legitimizing dispossession.

Land as a Commodity

The transformation of land into a property object that can be owned and traded.

Property and Political Society

Locke connects the notion of property to the need for a government to protect individual rights.

Causal Link between Slavery and Property

Land and slavery are intertwined, with land allocated to those involved in slave economies.

Colonial Environmental Narratives

Frameworks that depict certain lands as empty, justifying colonial actions.

Locke's Impact on Capitalism

His ideas provide a foundation for capitalist frameworks, emphasizing labor as central to property.

Indigenous Knowledge vs Colonial Narratives

Contrasting agricultural practices among Indigenous peoples against European colonization narratives.

Uninhabitable Discourse

Narratives that label regions like Gaza as empty to justify colonial dispossession.

Settler Colonialism

A process by which colonizers settle and claim lands, often erasing existing populations.

Historical Context of Locke's Ideas

Rooted in Enlightenment thought, promoting individualism and property rights.

Labor and Nature Dichotomy

Locke's framing of labor as rational excludes those he deems part of nature.

Justification for Land Theft

The derived legal and moral reasoning for appropriating land from Indigenous populations.

Industrial Activity Zones

Specific areas in Ontario promoted for economic development without environmental assessments.

Collective Ownership vs Individual Rights

Locke’s exploration of how to balance communal ownership with individual property claims.

Economic Development Bills

Legislation aimed at promoting economic activity, potentially at the expense of Indigenous rights.

Contemporary Land Claims

Modern movements concerning rights to lands traditionally held by Indigenous populations.

The Eurocentric Environmental Imaginary

A worldview where European agricultural practices are viewed as superior and rational.

Encapsulation of Property Rights

Locke’s theories encapsulate the relationship between individuals and their rights to own property.

Historical Resilience against Total Devastation

Examples such as Hiroshima challenging narratives of destruction and affirming resistance rights.

Psycho-Historical Context

Understanding colonial frameworks through psychological and historical lenses.

Decolonization Movement

Efforts aimed at restoring Indigenous land rights and dismantling colonial legacies.