Socialism

5194 readers

76 users here now

Rules TBD.

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

dessalines@lemmy.ml

Question about ownership of the means of production (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 months ago by knitwitt@lemmy.world to c/socialism@lemmy.ml

26 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Howdy! I'm new here and was hoping someone might have some insight to a question I've been thinking about for a while:

If I saved up my money and bought a tractor, would it be permissible/ethical to charge others to use it when I didn't need it?

This seems awfully similar to owning the means of production. What if I instead offered to plow their fields for them instead, driving the tractor myself and negotiating fair compensation in exchange?

Sorry if this is basic stuff I'm still learning. 🙏

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] knitwitt@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Thanks for your response! As I understand, even under marxism I still have the ability to use the product of my labour to buy things for my personal use? Like if I want to own a painting or piece of art, I can exchange the products of my labour with an artist for the products of their labour.

Regarding ownership, personal property still exists on some level, right? I don't want other people wearing my clothes or sleeping in my bed for instance. I might not even want people driving my personal car if it's something that I collected, built, or restored myself.

[–] themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago

Indeed. Marx is actually very careful in distinguishing personal property (your toothbrush, your bed) from the means of production (a tractor, a lathe, a factory). If it were a society where it's needed to have a car then it would probably be your own, but it'd be better for everyone if the public infrastructure (that belongs to the community) made it so cars aren't a requirement.