Joseph Proudhon

Joseph Proudhon was a 19th-century French thinker and social reformer known for his ideas on property and society. He argued that property should be based on individual labor and contribution, coining the phrase "property is theft" to challenge the notion that property rights are absolute. Proudhon believed in a society where people cooperated freely and shared resources fairly, advocating for mutualism—a system of decentralized, voluntary exchanges without state intervention. His ideas influenced socialist and anarchist movements, highlighting the importance of justice, equality, and fair distribution in social and economic life.