John Lockes influential account of how humans develop money and acquire property lacks an explanation of why individuals feel the need to increase their material possessions. Rene Girards theory of mimetic desire can fill this void. Combining Locke with Girard will help show why money overwhelms a sense of ethics or morality within the individual and why laws are insufficient restraints on mens behavior within this realm.
Kyle Scott, "Why Enough Is Never Enough: John Locke, Rene Girard, and Money," Journal of Markets & Morality 16, no. 2 (Fall 2013): 487-505