This chapter examines the role of property rights as foundational institutional genes influencing social, economic, and political systems. It argues that the distribution of property rights, whether dispersed as those in ancient Greece and Rome or centralized as those in Imperial China, deeply affects the evolution of institutions such as the rule of law, constitutionalism, and democracy. Broadly held private property rights foster the development of these institutions, which become self-replicating over time. In contrast, centralized property rights lead to monopoly power and coercive institutions that not only frequently restrict individual freedoms but can also lay the foundation for totalitarianism. The chapter seeks to clarify the concept of property rights to offer deeper insights into these institutional dynamics.