西方财产观念的发展

财产观念是个人和社会价值观的核心,可由此探究不同文明、国家、社会和民族的特性。它涉及广泛,包括经济、法律、政治、社会、宗教、哲学、伦理等诸多学科领域,是跨学科历史研究的一个理想视角,但史学界对财产观念发展史重视得还很不够。西方历史中始终有不同的财产观念,这种观念的两极是财产的公有和私有,更多的情况下是权衡财产的社会意义和个人利益何者为先。其中私有财产价值高于社会利益的时期只是在18至19世纪。到了20世纪,随着国家对财产的调控,西方社会进入平稳发展时期,直到七八十年代福利社会危机引发对财产权的重新关注。这种关注决定了在21世纪,西方社会在个人财产与社会利益之间要继续寻找一种新的平衡。

Development of the Western Idea of Property

The idea of property is the core of individual and social values,through which the characteristics of different civilizations,states,societies and nations can be explored.It involves a wide range of disciplines including economics,law,politics,sociology,religion,philosophy and ethics,thus is an ideal perspective for trans-disciplinary historical research.Yet our historical circle hasn't paid enough attention to the development of the idea of property.There have always existed different ideas of property in the Western history,and the two opposing extremes of the ideas are the publicness and privateness of property.In most cases,it is more important to balance the priority between the social significance and individual interest of property.Only during the period of 18th to 19th century,the value of private property was held higher than social benefit.By the 20th century,with the control of the state over property,the Western society had entered the times of stable development until the 1970s to 1980s,when social welfare crisis touched off a fresh concern over property rights.The concern demands that in the 21st century,the Western society should continue seeking for a new balance between individual property and social benefit.