Origins of Possession
Owning and Sharing in Development

'This is a rare, unique, and exciting book that could not have been written except by a scientist who, like Darwin, has travelled to diverse places and made the insightful observations that open a new perspective on everything of concern to human psychology. Rochat probes a concept so central and pervasive that it is commonplace: possession. He develops a psychology that penetrates deeply into philosophical and ethical realms, and that raises questions that to my knowledge have not been raised before about issues relevant to the development of the most important aspects of social life, issues that pertain to something so basic that it drives sex and violence and has the potential to realign our understanding of economics, law and social formation, as well as individual existence.' Shaun Gallagher, Lillian and Morrie Moss Professor of Excellence, University of Memphis

'Philippe Rochat has been studying children across cultures with a unique combination of curiosity, empathy, and insight. This important book challenges our understanding of their psychology - and of human psychology generally - and opens new directions of research. A highly pleasurable and stimulating read!' Dan Sperber, author of Explaining Culture, and co-author of Meaning and Relevance

'One might think that the topic of possession is clearly delimited and somewhat specialized. In this masterful work Rochat shows that nothing could be farther from the truth. Possession, as Rochat conceives it, is an integral part of all of the most important aspects of human experience. A most enlightening piece of work - and a joy to read.' Michael Tomasello, Co-Director, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

'Relying on Rousseau's 'Second Discourse', Rochat shows how the idea of property led humans to abandon a natural state of sharing with all other animals to a state in which claims of ownership, combined with the acceptance of such claims by others, set a new standard for civil society based on possession. Rochat creates a fascinating discourse by integrating ideas from philosophy, biology, sociology, and anthropology to understand the development of laws of property in Western and non-Western cultures and the impact of these cultural systems on the psychological development of a sense of possession across the life span … Summing up: highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.' R. B. Stewart, Jr, Choice