Does Ownership Lead to Morals?

What does it mean to own the self?  According to three different prominent thinkers, Plato, Aristotle and Sartre, it means three different things.  Plato stated that owning objects is detrimental to one’s personal character. Aristotle stated that owning tangible goods develops moral character and lastly, Sartre stated that ownership is not just objects but intangible items as well.  I’ll use clothes as an example for all three.

When I think of Plato’s view of ownership, I think of a person who wears designer clothes. Some examples of the brands are Off-White, Balenciaga, and Supreme. All of their clothing is expensive and they think wearing those expensive brands makes them better than others who don’t or can’t afford it. They think that they deserve to have all of the best clothes and look down on others that don’t do the same. The person who wears designer clothes will not lower themselves to wear regular clothing items normal people wear. The attitude they wear is that they are better and above everyone else, except for others who wear similar clothing choices too.  

When I think of Aristotle’s statement, I think of someone who has gone without designer clothes and was finally able to purchase some. That person could’ve been looked down upon by someone who was wealthy for their regular clothing they had to wear. When you don’t have the ability to have what others do and finally get it, you cherish what you have and take better care of what you have, as if it’s not dispensable. This person may be more accepting of others, since they know what both sides are like and know the hardships it takes to make money. 

Lastly, it is Sartre’s idea that ownership extends beyond objects and includes intangible items too.  So when I think about Sartre, I think of that person that may not have the expensive items, but they have morals that make them a great person anyway. Where others use a brand to define their character, this person doesn’t need the brand to make their character. They are already great without the fabric others need to cover themselves up to make them look better. 

“Herm of Plato. Vatican Museums, Pio-Clementine Museum.” by Sergey Sosnovskiy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

“nike basketball shoes” by wallace_Lan is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.