Ownership and Trust ...

Monday, Jan 13, 2020. What things I own plays an important role for my life. Do I live in a rented flat or do I own a house. Can I afford to buy an expensive car? Do I have enough money to afford holidays and travel?

There is the human struggle to earn enough to be able to buy food and water, clothing and shelter, and to afford some things which make life easy and enjoyable. Let us think about ownership and possessions …

Important Social Principles …

Ownership is an important social principle. We can possess things, land, or rights. We can even possess animals. In history, the principle has even been applied to humans, which have been possessed by others.

Without ownership it is difficult to act. Ownership is an organization principle for our social interaction. When I put effort into something, when I build something, I can own it. Then, I can also sell it to others, who give me something which they own. Using the invention of money, values are converted into some type of currency, and we use money to efficiently organize our exchange of value and possessions.

At the same time it is a basic question, in what sense possessions define myself. Do I own the possessions, or do my possessions own me? Our possessions interact with our psychological and mental dimension. Responsibility for my possessions is influencing my life. Fear or concern about my possessions can influence my well-being.

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Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4, 8-10)

(Roland Potthast)

This is part of the trilogy project “Faith of a Scientist”.