Property and freedom are inextricably linked, and the broad statements to the contrary by Cohen, Murphy, and Nagel are wrong. At the same time, however, a strong relationship between property and freedom does not immunize property from government interference. To support these positions, I shift the discussion of property and freedom away from debates about the inviolability of property, and focus instead on the institutional relationship between property and freedom. Accordingly, this Essay focuses on two questions: to what degree does the institution of private property protect individual freedom, and to what degree is individual freedom possible without the institution of private property?
