What Is Property?

The book presents a passionate critique of capitalism and private property through the lens of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's slogan, "Property is robbery!" Written in 1840, it sparked immediate controversy, leading to Proudhon's prosecution and the loss of his scholarship. As an autodidact from humble beginnings, Proudhon faced significant challenges but found support from economist Jérôme-Adolphe Blanqui, to whom the second memoir is directed. The treatise serves as a foundational text in anarchist and socialist thought, challenging the status quo of economic systems.