Legal Definitions - labor theory

Definition: The Labor Theory, also known as Lockean Labor Theory, is a philosophy developed by John Locke that justifies private property ownership based on the natural right of one's ownership of their own labor. According to this theory, individuals have the right to use nature's common property to the extent that their labor can make use of it.

This theory is often used to analyze the natural rights of inventors, authors, and artists in their own creations. For example, if an artist creates a painting, they have the right to own and profit from that painting because they put their own labor into creating it.

Another example is if a farmer cultivates a piece of land, they have the right to own and use that land because they put their own labor into making it productive.

The Labor Theory is often contrasted with other theories of property ownership, such as Personality Theory and Utilitarianism.