Proprietà e libertà

[Autom. eng. transl.] Why is the history of Russia characterized by the presence of despotic governments, up to real socialism? And why, on the other hand, were institutions respectful of individual freedom born for the first time in England? For Richard Pipes, to answer these questions it is necessary to consider the form and history of private property. Property rights have been the strongest barrier to limit state power and allow liberal institutions to evolve and thrive in the Western world. For this reason, property rights and parliamentary government have progressed hand in hand in a country like England, while in Russia property restrictions have guaranteed the maintenance of authoritarian regimes for hundreds of years. After reconstructing the history of property and demonstrating on the basis of the contrasting examples of these two countries how close the correlation between property and freedom is, Pipes analyzes the developments of the twentieth century, in which governments - in the name of social justice and the "good common” – have abolished or trampled on property rights.