“Thus was born the use of money, something lasting which men could keep without spoiling, and which, by mutual agreement , men would take in exchange for really useful, but perishable, supports, money. Life." (Chapter V: 47). In Chapter V of his Second Treatise, John Locke defines the legitimate appropriation of property as a process dependent on the use of personal labor by individuals. He explains that God has given the world to all humanity so that they can use its resources to their advantage Each person is born with a "Property" in their own "Person" and so, when an individual withdraws something from the State that belongs to him. been provided by Nature and the mixture with her Work, this then becomes her property Locke emphasizes the seriousness of work by putting “the difference of value on each thing” (V: 40, 3-4 However, acquisition). of real estate is severely limited beyond a certain point in the state of nature Locke observes that individuals can only legitimately take what they can use before it spoils, and that they cannot. can take that which leaves enough for others When money has been introduced into a society, individuals are able to store much of their gains in wealth and property and, therefore, some individuals inevitably acquire. more in terms of value than others. As these select individuals earn more, they consequently reduce the ability of others to appropriate and earn as much as they wish from the Earth. While the use of money ultimately increases property inequality in society by exaggerating the "different degrees of industry" that have already created disparities (48), Locke asserts that this inequality is justified because that all men have knowingly accepted its use in giving money. a value. T...... middle of paper ......s to raw materials. For example, a person might want to become a farmer. To achieve this in the original state of nature, he would need to acquire land, animals and materials to build his farm. He would then be able to produce only what he could use and without encroaching on the ability to produce or acquire the necessary goods by others. However, with the introduction of money, even though he could not purchase land for his own farm, he could seek other economic activities that would be equally beneficial to him. Instead of owning his own small farm, he could work in a grocery store and obtain the same amount of relative personal property via his earned wages, and these could be used to purchase all of his necessities. Higher levels of industry, encouraged by the use of money, reduce the risk that individuals will not be able to seize the opportunities they seek.,