Rethink “Self-ownership”: Overcome Nozick’s Challenge to Marx as Cohen’s Testimony

Marx’s allegation of exploitation in capitalist society presupposes the idea of self-ownership. However, beyond the natural directness, supremacy and infinite eternity of the self-ownership concept of classical liberalism and libertarianism as natural right and moral principle, Marx recognizes the self-ownership of the labor force as a commodity under the conditions of capitalist production, promises it with sociality, necessity, and historicity. Thus, Nozick’s challenge to Marx based on the self-ownership concepts of classical liberalism and libertarianism, that is Marx’s redistribution support contradicts with his self-ownership presupposition, does not overwhelm Marx as Cohen’s testimony.