LIB298
"Mine": A Philosophical History of Ownership
Imagine standing in line for the next teller at the bank and someone cuts in front of you. “Excuse me, I’m next!” is your claim to ownership, but of what? The course first examines six intuitive maxims, such as “first come, first served,” that ground nearly all our claims to ownership. We’ll also trace how English common law of real estate became so formative in the colonization of the New World. Lastly, we will see how Canadian courts have interpreted that common law framework to adjudicate Indigenous land claims.
A $50 discount will be applied automatically for adults 55+.
Overview
Location: Vancouver
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Thu, May 9, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, May 16, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, May 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, May 30, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, Jun 6, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, Jun 13, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
Course outline
- Week 1:
We will examine three maxims that we use to justify ownership: “I was here first,” “It’s in my possession,” and “I did all the work.” Our investigation will include examples of how each of these has been challenged. - Week 2:
We will continue our examination with three more ownership maxims: “It’s my home,” “It’s my body,” and “It’s my inheritance.” Once again, we will include examples of how each of these maxims has been challenged. - Week 3:
We will trace Andro Linklater’s theory that our modern concept of real estate began in 15th-century England, was embedded within English common law, and came to the New World with land-hungry immigrants. - Week 4:
We will continue with Linklater’s theory to show how the English concept of real estate was formative to the expansion of colonial control of North America. - Week 5:
Guided by Jim Reynolds’ 2018 book Aboriginal Peoples and the Law, we will briefly overview the legal history of the colonial relationship with Canada’s Indigenous peoples, from first contact to the repatriation of the Constitution in 1982. - Week 6:
Jim Reynolds will be our special guest in this final week, and he will outline landmark cases in Aboriginal law and offer thoughts about the future of Canada’s relationship with First Nations.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Discuss maxims commonly used to justify ownership, and challenges to their validity
- Describe the origins and development of land ownership concepts in the Americas
- Discuss specific cases of contested land ownership in Canada
Learning Methods
- Lectures with time for questions and answers (may vary from class to class)
- Supplementary resources accessible through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
Handouts and other course resources will be available on Canvas, SFU’s online learning system.
To access the resources, you should be comfortable with:
- Using everyday software such as browsers, email and social media
- Navigating a website by clicking on links and finding pages in a menu
- Downloading and opening PDF documents