On stewardship

This post was first published on Dr. Craig Wright’s X account, and we republished with permission from the author.

Stewardship is the conducting, supervising, or managing of something. Especially the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. Stewardship of natural resources. Not ownership, not rights to.

Stewardship, in the context of property or resource management, refers to the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving. It implies a relationship of responsibility between the steward and the object of their stewardship, rather than outright ownership.

The concept of stewardship can be contrasted with ownership, which typically confers a broader range of rights and privileges, including the right to use, manage, and dispose of a property or resource.

When discussing stewardship, it’s important to consider the limitations and rights that differentiate it from ownership. Stewards are often expected to manage resources or properties in a way that is sustainable and beneficial for a larger group or future generations.

This expectation imposes certain limits on how a steward can use the resource. For example, a steward of a natural area might be expected to maintain the ecological health of that area, which would limit actions that could harm it.

In contrast, an owner typically has more extensive rights, including the right to use the property or resource for personal benefit, to exclude others from it, and to transfer these rights to others through sale or inheritance.

This balance between stewardship and ownership raises important questions about how resources and properties should be managed for the collective good.

The concept of stewardship can be seen as a counterbalance to the potential for exploitation or mismanagement inherent in absolute ownership.

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