Title: Who Owns (up to) the Past? Property Metaphors and Cultural Heritage

Abstract: “Heritage” is a concept that often carries significant normative weight in moral and political arguments. In this talk, I discuss a prevalent conception of heritage influenced by the values of material property and argue for an alternative conception that promises superior moral and political consequences. In particular, my alternative jettisons the traditional focus on heritage as only a positive relationship to the past, and thus offers resources for coming to terms with histories of injustice.