Abstract
Matsumura’s comment on the Kato’s is presentation was given from the viewpoint of developmental psychology. In the scope of psychology, the issue of ownership or possession is not about the relation between a person and a thing but that between a person and a person, and property right is the social system developed from it. Thus, the psychological approach to ownership is terminus a quo for the study of the origin of property right as a social system. Matsumura first introduced L. Furby’s concern and her study. She is the pioneer of this field. Second, the study on children’s possessive behaviors was detailed. If the interest of this symposium is on the modern property right, the distinction between ownership and mere possession is critically important, which would emphasize the cognitive aspect of the child development. Third, based on this view, Matsumura reframed the study of L. Furby and introduced the study of child development on understanding of purchase and sale that provides fundamentals of property right. Fourth, returning to the legal concern, Matsumura’s view on children’s understanding of ownership discerned from mere possession was stated based on children’s understanding of money.
