Property – An Introduction
Property in the real world is what belongs with or on something, be it an element or as part of that object. In the real world, if it belongs with anything, it is definite; if it is not definite, then it is property that does not belong with anything else. It is something that is definite and which has a definite use and value in the particular context in which it is used. On the other hand, property in the virtual world is something that one owns in virtue of having the virtual possession of something. This can only mean that the ownership of the thing in question is something definite and actual, rather than something indefinite and abstract.
There are two basic kinds of property, actual and abstract. Actual property refers to things in reality, such as houses, cars, and so on. Abstract property, on the other hand, is what someone owns in virtue of having the mental property that the object has. One example of this is something like knowledge, which is a very abstract and mental property. Another example is something like money, which is also an abstract and mental property. In this way, property in the virtual world is a combination of the two.
The reason why property appears in the virtual world as something like knowledge or money is because those are things that do have definite and distinct characteristics in the concrete world. For instance, knowledge is a definite thing because it can be understood, learned, and so on. Money, on the other hand, is not a definite thing because it can be in different forms. Hence, it is something like a non-relation between something and its complement.
In fact, property in the virtual world behaves like non-relationships. But the interesting thing is that it will not go away by itself. It must be relationships that take place between something and its complement. The most obvious example is money. Money is the complement of a person, and as such, it cannot be simply owned by anyone. Money, when it appears as the property in the hands of a person, will appear as something like a commodity.
Another example of this is land. Land can be owned by the individual, but it can also be leased. Land, unlike money, cannot be transformed into commodity goods. So, while land and money are non-relations, they are nevertheless substances that are required in the acquisition and maintenance of property.
In conclusion, the property cannot be simply defined as something physical that exists in the tangible world. Rather, it is a concept that is associated with concepts like knowledge, money, and the possession of things. These concepts, in conjunction with the physical reality of things, become reality through the act of acquiring and creating property.