Rafe Blaufarb: The Separation of Property from Public Power
The modern economic order is built on the foundation of the Great Demarcation. As Rafe Blaufarb describes, French revolutionaries made a radical cut: they removed public power from the sphere of property and extracted property from the realm of sovereignty. As a result, two distinct domains were created: political power and private property. Understanding this process allows us to grasp how global business gained freedom of action by separating itself from direct state coercion.
The Separation of Imperium and Dominium Creates the Modern State
The key to modernity was the separation of imperium (power over people) from dominium (power over things). Under the Old Regime, economic paralysis prevailed because seigneurial property mixed public and private functions. The feudal lord was simultaneously a landowner and a judge, which made the free exchange of goods impossible. The Nationalization of Church property (biens nationaux) was a logical consequence of the demarcation—sovereignty had to be unified, and church property, as "mortmain," blocked market development.
The Napoleonic Code Sanctions Absolute Property
This process was finalized by the Napoleonic Code, which formalized the transition to full and indivisible property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Great Demarcation in historical terms?
The Great Demarcation is the process described by Rafe Blaufarb in which French revolutionaries separated political power from property, ending the feudal entanglement of property and jurisdiction.
Why was the feudal system inconsistent with the modern concept of the state?
In the feudal system, domination over people and possession of things were indistinguishable; offices were treated as private investments, and the owner of the land was also a judge.
How does digital capitalism affect the traditional concept of ownership?
Digital capitalism shifts the emphasis from physical ownership to intellectual capital and access to information, making ownership intangible and license-based.
What was the role of the nationalization of church property in the Demarcation process?
The nationalization of church property was aimed at eliminating the 'state within the state' and unifying sovereignty by transforming inalienable goods into public or private property.
What is the paradox of modern digital property?
The paradox is that while the revolution separated the state from property for the freedom of citizens, modern digital systems once again draw the state into arbitrarily regulating access to resources.
Related Questions
What was the Great Demarcation described by Rafe Blaufarb?
What significance did the separation of empire and dominion have for modernity?
Why was noble property economically inefficient in the Old Regime?
How did the nationalization of Church property fit into the logic of demarcation?
How did the Napoleonic Code formalize the transition to absolute property?
How does national domain differ from the former royal domain?
How does contemporary digital capitalism impact the traditional concept of property?
What is the paradox of the owner-state in the context of civil liberty?
Why are electoral campaign pulpits perceived as a form of re-feudalization?
What are the differences between the models of state-Church relations in the US, Arab countries, and the EU?
