On the Territorial Rights of States

Institutions in Global Distributive Justice

“…327 In including the right to control and prohibit movement across the state's borders under this category I diverge from the categorization provided by Simmons (2001: 306). 328 Among the few notable exceptions in the political philosophy literature that do attempt to justify such rights we find Copp (1999); Baldwin (1992); Simmons (2001);and Schmidtz (1991). restricting hazardous activities in populated areas etc). 329 Importantly, states claim the right to tax and regulate uses of even privately owned resources on their territory, which plays an important role in maintaining the conditions of background justice in which free interactions among persons can lead to a just distribution.…”

Sovereignty over natural resources and its implications for climate justice

“…The Lockean theories of territory draw on John Locke's classic natural law theory of property . The application of Locke to territory yields more than one result . According to Cara Nine's basic needs account, territorial right is justified by the basic values of natural law theory: the survival and flourishing of humankind.…”

No right to unilaterally claim your territory: on the consistency of Kantian statism

“…We can see this most clearly in accounts of rights over territory that take direct inspiration from Locke (Simmons 2001, Steiner 2005. On this view, individuals can generate a natural entitlement to a piece of land in virtue of performing certain acts, like labouring or occupying it.…”

“…The duties imposed on others through controlling a piece of land are contingent on their conformity with the pertinent provisos: claims to territory are legitimate under the condition that what remains for other communities either constitutes a 'fair' or 'equal' share of the common stock (Simmons 2001, Steiner 2005 or at least does not prevent them from meeting their own basic needs (Nine 2012, p. 27). …”