Question

"It is the communal private property which compels the active citizens to remain in this spontaneously derived form of association over against their slaves. For this reason the whole structure of society based on this communal ownership, and with it the power of the people, decays in the same measure as, in particular, immovable private property evolves."

Answer 1

The question pertains to the effects of communal private property on society, reflecting concepts from the history of social and political theory concerning property rights and ownership, and their impact on socio-political structures.

Step-by-step explanation:

The query deals with the concept of communal private property and its effects on societal structures and the power of the populace, suggesting that the decay of society is tied to the evolution of immovable private property. This intertwines with the historical and philosophical discussion of ownership, which originates from ancient times and carries through various economic and political theories. The evolution of property rights, from communal ownership in early hunter-gatherer societies to private property in urbanized areas, has profound implications. For instance, in Locke's philosophy, property is acquired through labor and the improvement of common lands, with the implication that such inequality is justifiable if it leads to greater productivity and benefits others.

Contrastingly, socialist theory, as seen in Plato's idea of shared goods and communal living spaces, suggests that common ownership is foundational to societal harmony and should not be abolished for private property.