" They belong,
in fact, to my possessions, only when and so far as I can assert
this as a matter of right.
5. Definition of the Conception of the
External Mine and Thine.
Definitions are nominal or real. A nominal definition is
sufficient merely to distinguish the object defined from all other
objects, and it springs out of a complete and definite exposition of
its conception. A real definition further suffices for a deduction
of the conception defined, so as to furnish a knowledge of the reality
of the object. The nominal definition of the external "mine" would
thus be: "The external mine is anything outside of myself, such that
any hindrance of my use of it at will would be doing me an injury or
wrong as an infringement of that freedom of mine which may coexist
with the freedom of all others according to a universal law." The real
definition of this conception may be put thus: "The external mine is
anything outside of myself, such that any prevention of my use of it
would be a wrong, although I may not be in possession of it so as to
be actually holding it as an object." I must be in some kind of
possession of an external object, if the object is to be regarded as
mine; for, otherwise, anyone interfering with this object would not,
in doing so, affect me; nor, consequently, would he thereby do me
any wrong.
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