The concept of property is currently subject to extreme contradictions: on the one hand, the president of the United States hopes to seize Greenland by any means necessary; on the other hand, ecological movements intend to safeguard natural resources by declaring them untouchable “common goods.” Clearly, the conflict is radical. It is thus necessary to understand when, how, and why the modern concept of property emerged, as well as its historical function and legitimacy.
Our modern concept of property emerged from medieval thought, but not without difficulty.
Let us begin by clarifying terms. When one speaks in French about the “right to property,” one designates a relation directed from man toward things. Yet the Latin term proprietas (property) carries a different nuance. It designates, in Roman law, the relation of exclusivity binding a thing to its owner: what

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