Homestead Principle

The homestead principle is derived from the natural right to self-ownership. Murray N. Rothbard believed that if people have the right to own themselves and determine their actions, then reason dictates that they own the fruits of their labor. According to the homestead principle, when a person mixes his or her labor with unowned resources, it becomes an extension of his or her self (property). After property is homesteaded, it can only be parted with via contract.