Robert Nozick

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Robert Nozick 1977 Libertarian Review cover

Robert Nozick (1938–2002) was an American philosopher and political theorist, most renowned for his defense of libertarianism in his seminal book Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974). Nozick was a professor at Harvard University, where he offered significant contributions to political philosophy, ethics, and the philosophy of mind. His work in political philosophy, notably his development of the entitlement theory of justice, has had a profound impact on libertarian thought, contrasting with the distributive justice theory of John Rawls.

Biography

Robert Nozick was born on November 16, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, to a family of Russian Jewish immigrants. He earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Columbia University in 1959, followed by a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Oxford University. He completed his Ph.D. at Princeton University in 1963. Nozick joined the faculty of Harvard University in 1969, where he remained until his death on January 23, 2002.

Philosophical Work

Anarchy, State, and Utopia

Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia is a direct response to John Rawls's A Theory of Justice. While Rawls argues for a conception of justice based on fairness and equality, Nozick presents a libertarian view that emphasizes individual rights and the minimal state. According to Nozick, a minimal state is justified insofar as it arises through a process that respects individuals' rights to acquire, transfer, and protect their holdings without violating others' rights. Nozick's entitlement theory comprises three main principles: a principle of justice in acquisition, a principle of justice in transfer, and a principle of rectification of injustice.

Philosophical Explanations

In his 1981 book Philosophical Explanations, Nozick explored topics beyond political philosophy, including the nature of rationality, free will, and the objective understanding of the world. He proposed a theory of knowledge, "the tracking theory," which suggests that knowing a proposition means having a method to track the truth of that proposition across possible worlds.

Criticism and Legacy

Nozick's work has been both highly influential and controversial. Critics argue that his vision of a minimal state fails to address issues of social and economic inequality adequately. Despite this, his ideas have significantly shaped libertarian thought and debates on political philosophy, ethics, and the role of the state.

Selected Works

• Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974)
• Philosophical Explanations (1981)
• The Examined Life (1989)
• The Nature of Rationality (1993)
• Socratic Puzzles (1997)

See Also

• Libertarianism
• Political philosophy
• John Rawls
• Justice