Libertarianism, Self-Ownership, and Property Rights

Contrary to what many libertarians think, self-ownership is not, and cannot be, the ground of property rights. The following argument should make this point clear.  

P1) If one’s self/body-ownership is the ground of one’s property rights, then one’s ownership of one’s self/body is the ground of one’s right to own property.

P2) If one’s ownership of one’s self/body is the ground of one’s right to own property, then one’s ownership of one’s self/body is logically prior to one’s right to own scarce resources.

C1) Therefore, if one’s self/body-ownership is the ground of one’s property rights, then one’s ownership of one’s self/body is logically prior to one’s right to own scarce resources. [From P1 and P2]

P3) If one’s ownership of one’s self/body is logically prior to one’s right to own scarce resources, then one’s self/body is not a scarce resource.

For, if (a) one’s self/body is a scarce resource and (b) one’s ownership of one’s self/body is logically prior to one’s right to own scarce resources, then those who maintain that property rights are grounded upon self-ownership would be ensnarled in a vicious circle. Indeed, “Shall the earth rest on the great elephant, and the great elephant again upon the earth?”

C2) Therefore, if one’s self/body-ownership is the ground of one’s property rights, then one’s self/body is not a scarce resource. [From C1 and P3]

P4) If one’s self/body is not a scarce resource, then one’s self/body is not capable of being owned.

C3) Therefore, if one’s self/body-ownership is the ground of one’s property rights, then one’s self/body is not capable of being owned. [From C2 and P4]

P5) If one’s self/body is not capable of being owned, then one’s ownership of one’s self/body cannot be the ground of one’s right to own property.

C4) Therefore, if one’s self/body-ownership is the ground of one’s property rights, then one’s ownership of one’s self/body cannot be the ground of one’s right to own property. [From C3 and P5]

P6) If one’s ownership of one’s self/body cannot be the ground of one’s right to own property, then one’s self/body-ownership cannot be the ground of one’s property rights.

C5) Therefore, if one’s self/body-ownership is the ground of one’s property rights, then one’s self/body-ownership cannot be the ground of one’s property rights. [From C4 and P6]