Free Unfolding of the Individual—Self-Ownership
Being Accountable for One’s Actions
A vast ocean. Masses of water extending to the horizon and beyond. You, an adventurous sailor standing on their boat looking into the future enthusiastically, set sail. This is a fitting metaphor for self-ownership with the sea representing the countless directions you can go to and you, eager to explore your opportunities. Self-ownership is a simple concept: You own yourself. Your body, your mind, your actions are yours alone. Like the captain of a ship, you navigate through the waters of life, making decisions, facing storms, and seeking treasures. Self-ownership is the acknowledgment that you are the sole author of your life story, with the pen firmly in your grasp.
Consequences of Actions
Self-ownership means having the authority and responsibility for your actions. It's the foundation upon which all other rights are built, for without sovereignty over oneself, other freedoms have little meaning. It's the right to make choices about your life. By embracing self-ownership, we not only affirm our own value but also recognize the inherent worth of our fellows with their own values.
However, modern tyrants, arguing for the right to reap the rewards of your efforts, often neglect an important element of owning oneself. Self-ownership also means bearing the negative consequences of one’s actions. Hence, it means taking full responsibility for negative outcomes of your behavior. There is no “but that happened” or “this stopped me from executing.” Embracing self-ownership means being accountable.
The Fruits of Your Labor
While today almost everybody would agree that people are inherently valuable in themselves instead of means to an end of a master, this has not always been the case, which can be seen in the institution of slavery. Roots of self-ownership can be traced back to the Stoics, who pronounced their repudiation of the idea of slavery. Zeno, for instance, called slavery irrational and did not have any slaves himself. Further, the idea of being responsible for one’s behavior is expressed in the Bible in verses like, “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them” (Ezekiel 18:20, NIV).
Recent philosophical underpinnings of self-ownership can be found in the works of John Locke. Locke's assertion that each person has a natural right to life, liberty, and property laid the groundwork for modern libertarian thought. In the second half of the 20th century, Robert Nozick built heavily on Locke’s concepts of people needing to be able to protect their resources as private property. He expanded on the idea of the rights to the fruits of one’s labor. A person mixing their labor with natural resources converts them to private property. All of these deliberations can be discarded if you do not have the right to your own person, if you do not have self-ownership.
Propelling Life Forward
Without self-ownership there is little value in an individual’s life. Why would I do something if I am not accountable for its outcomes? Why should I consider the long-term effects of my decisions? This consideration brings us straight to communism with normal people not owning anything they do. Many impactful Austrian Economists pointed out this problem: In a communist society nobody has an incentive to engage entrepreneurially.
Although force is a strong incentive to do something, if actors know they will not be accountable for the outcomes of their actions and can’t reap the benefits, why would they obsess over their work and decisions to get the best results? Why would they engage in competition? The benefits arising from everybody following their own interests cannot be reaped. On the one hand, this is why implementing demands of confiscating every person’s money beyond sum x (say ten million), would cease innovation. On the other hand, it explains why government offices are necessarily wasteful and provide bad services. For a prosperous society, it is necessary that individuals own the outcomes of their actions.
Owning Yourself
In the end, what you do will come back to you in one way or another. You can’t hide from the consequences of your behavior for long. Therefore, you want to implement self-ownership in your life right from the beginning. Applying self-ownership to everyday life starts with personal responsibility—making choices that align with your values and owning the outcomes. Stop explaining away bad choices you made! Take ownership! This will make things harder for you in the short run, but you will be more satisfied with your own behavior in the long run. You will discern how you can influence the outcomes of your actions in your life. You will attach a high valuation to the time that is ticking away. You will recognize what is important to you and stop worrying about meaningless substances not affecting you anyway. People around you will start seeing you as a leader.
At the same time, let others take ownership of themselves. If, for example, you do not let your children carry the outcomes of their own decisions and instead coddle them all the time, they cannot grow. Your attitude toward self-ownership is reflected in the way you educate your children, conduct business, and interact with neighbors. It's present in the choices you make, from the food you eat to the causes you support. Self-ownership is the daily practice of owning your outcomes, ensuring that every action is a step towards self-fulfillment.
Your Own Way
Self-ownership is not just a political principle—it's a way of life. It's about embracing the freedom to chart your own course, respecting others' journeys, and building a world where everyone can navigate their own oceans of possibility. As we embrace this concept, we unlock the doors to innovation, collaboration, and progress. Now the time to set sails has come. Your adventure awaits. Which direction will you choose?
Think for yourself and question everything, my fellow liberty people!
Great read 🤝
True Wisdom! Thank you I’m sending it to my children and their friends. Luckily I come from self ownership roots and the world is full of blessings when you are brought up in wisdom so that you become an adult! We must all lead by example.