Hernando de Soto and Property in a Market Economy

Hernando de Soto is one of the world's leading public intellectuals. His books "The Mystery of Capital" and "The Other Path" have had a tremendous impact on debates about international development. But his work also has been controversial, and some of his arguments have received sustained criticism. One of de Soto's core ideas is that the institution of private property is necessary for the proper functioning of a market economy. Yet even though many property scholars closely follow de Soto's work, his ideas have been neglected in property law scholarship. And although his work has been widely discussed in the context of property in developing countries, it has not had the same impact on the property issues that arise in mature market economies like the United States. This new collection seeks to remedy this neglect, bringing together a diverse group of scholars to apply de Soto's work to a wide range of contemporary issues in property law and theory. The important contribution it makes to debates and controversies in property law, as well as in related economic fields, will appeal to scholars of both law and economics.