General Conditions of Man

Miscellaneous History
1

Was man a general condition of the environment at one time?

“General Condition” - something he believes cannot be altered to satisfy an end

2

Define “general condition.”

3

I’m definitely not the smartest person on this forum, but I have to say I’m unclear about what is it you’re asking.

Are we not a general condition of the environment now?

4

I think he is asking of at one point humans thought that their environment was not adaptable to humanity’s design? He could also mean many other things, let us give him a chance to reply.

5

If man was already a general condition of the environment, then the division between my property and your property would not exist?

6

I think he’s referring to this:

“Men find themselves in a certain environment, or situation. It is this situation that the individual decides to change in some way in order to achieve his ends. But man can work only with the numerous elements that he finds in his environment, by rear ranging them in order to bring about the satisfaction of his ends. With reference to any given act, the environment external to the individual may be divided into two parts: those elements which he believes he cannot control and must leave unchanged, and those which he can alter (or rather, thinks he can alter) to arrive at his ends. The former may be termed the general conditions of the action; the latter, the meansused.”

-Rothbard, MES

7

So can man alter man basically?

8

I’m not sure what you truly mean here but are you arguing that there is no division at all? Like reality is a continous strand of interconnectiveness?

9

I had this part of Human Action open already and it seemed kind of relevant.

10

Maybe no division exists at birth, but if property exists we have to use man as a means to arrive at this end, right?

11

Sure, property presupposes ownership, and such a claim can only be put forth by man