Uses the concepts of property and property rights to explore the emergence of the modern international system, arguing that social understandings of these ideas contribute to claims about the modern state, sovereignty, international law, state conflict, global political economy, and the world system as a whole. Explores the socially shared understandings and meanings that inform individuals' outlooks and behaviors, and demonstrates that these changing meanings and consequent behaviors comprise the actual international system. Contains sections on property as principle, property practices, and property and constitution. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.