In *Chapter. V. Of Property* of his *Second Treatise of Government*, Locke asserts that people acquire property rights by “mixing” their labour with natural resources. He states this is necessary because people in a state of nature would starve if they first required the consent of everyone. Locke adds two provisos for this ownership: First, “there is enough, and as good, left in common for others,” and second, they use the resource before it spoils. Locke justifies these claims on the grounds of both theology and “natural reason.” First, he says that god created the world for all humans to use and improve. However, Locke wants to justify *individual* property rights. He starts with the axiomatic premise that every person has exclusive ownership over their own body. When one uses the labor of their body to gather resources from nature, they have mixed their labor with that item and made it theirs. Locke extends this logic to include land: “As much land as a man tills, plants, improves, cultivates, and can use the product of, so much is his property.” One may wonder what the metaphysical mechanics of this “mixing” is. Locke posits that if you gathered acorns in a state of nature, would dispute your ownership. In fact, people would starve if they first required consent from everyone. Locke asks rhetorically: Did ownership begin when brought home? When cooked? When eaten? Locke responds that self-evident ownership was established at the first gathering because the person added their labor. One might point out that, under this labor-based view of ownership, someone could hoard resources at the expense of others. Locke includes two caveats: First, people leave enough similar-quality items for others. Second, they use it before it spoils. Locke asserts that violating these provisos is foolish and tantamount to stealing. Moreover, natural resources are so abundant that disputes should be rare. Locke further bolsters his argument by illustrating how labor transforms elemental resources such as acorns, water, and leaves into more valuable commodities like bread, wine, and clothing. Locke boldly declares, “ninety-nine hundredths are wholly to be put on the account of labour.” So, it would be wasteful not to apply these transformations. In summary, Locke provides both theological and practical rationale for labor-based property rights, which he ethically anchors with two provisos. He further justifies his argument by pointing out how god gave the earth to humans to make use of and that not transforming resources through labor would be wasteful.