Ownership Definition Essay

Ownership refers to the possession of a physical object. Isn’t that what kids are taught? However, as kids begin to grow older and wiser, they begin to develop their own definitions of the word “ownership.” To some, the meaning remains the same, but for others, it begins to mean the possession of anything and everything. Ownership can be a tangible or intangible object and will often help develop moral character; however, under certain circumstances, it can be detrimental. Intangible objects fall under the list of things that can be owned. Jean-Paul Sartre believed that “becoming proficient in some skill and knowing something thoroughly means that we ‘own’ it.” His beliefs are similar to those of Ralph Waldo Emerson. In Emerson’s essay,
Although seldom heard of nowadays, a common ideology used throughout the 1700 and 1800s was the term human chattel which referred to humans as being owned by another person. The view on Africans was so demeaning that they weren't even considered as complete human beings. This resulted in the Three-Fifths Compromise, allowing the slaves to be counted as three-fifths of a person, nothing more and nothing less. Slave owners felt superior to all and believed they could do whatever they wanted to their slaves. The slave owners were known for abusing, overworking, and torturing others because they were seen as less than their equal counterparts. They justified these horrendous actions because they were in a high societal class in which it was common to own someone else. This is where white supremacy started. How can someone own another person and not feel bad about it? Slavery is the only situation in which ownership can negatively affect a person. The ownership of slaves, unfortunately, caused the consciences of whites to diminish. Whites felt