Even under that condition the historic communio, as a supposed
primeval community, would always have to be viewed as acquired and
derivative (communio derivativa).
The principle of external acquisition, then, may be expressed
thus: "Whatever I bring under my power according to the law of
external freedom, of which as an object of my free activity of will
I have the capability of making use according to the postulate of
the practical reason, and which I will to become mine in conformity
with the idea of a possible united common will, is mine."
The practical elements (momenta attendenda) constitutive of the
process of original acquisition are:
1. Prehension or seizure of an object which belongs to no one;
for, if it belonged already to some one, the act would conflict with
the freedom of others, that is, according to universal laws. This is
the taking possession of an object of my free activity of will in
space and time; the possession, therefore, into which I thus put
myself is sensible or physical possession (possessio phenomenon);
2. Declaration of the possession of this object by formal
designation and the act of my freewill in interdicting every other
person from using it as his;
3. Appropriation, as the act, in idea, of an externally
legislative common will, by which all and each are obliged to
respect and act in conformity with my act of will.
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