The legal structure of self-ownership: or the self-possessed man and the woman possessed

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to expound the legal meaning of self-ownership, to examine its internal logic and its applications to both men and women within the two major spheres of human relations. To date, discussion of the self-proprietor has largely been confined to his public manifestation. This paper provides a critical study of the person as proprietor of his person in both his public and private lives. More particularly, it considers whether women, as well as men, can be said to have property in their persons, not only when they are engaged in acts of gainful employment, but also when they enter lawful sexual relations.