|
 Building
a home philosophy library
Lyn
May and Steve Deery
The
eleventh in a series of articles advising on how to build your own
home philosophy library.
No.
11 Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State and Utopia
Anarchy,
State, and Utopia also considers a state of nature, but takes
a different approach to Hobbes. Nozick argues that if we accept
that individuals have rights, such as the right to liberty and property,
then even on an optimistic construal of the state of nature there
is no guarantee that these rights will be protected. Hence, the
minimal state is justified to the extent it protects an individual's
rights. For Nozick no more than the minimal state is justified as
any further state intervention would violate individual rights.
On
the issue of utopian government Nozick argues that given the diversity
of human desires and views of the good life no one utopian society
can meet everyone's needs. But we don't have to give up on the idea
of a utopia. Any group of like-minded individuals can form their
own vision of utopia within the framework of the minimal state.
Could we ask for anything more?
Anarchy,
State, and Utopia is packed with ideas and presented in a reader
friendly, sometimes humorous, style. For instance, having argued
for the minimal state he accepts that this conception is unlikely
to inspire many, saying "Would anyone man barricades under
its banner?" Whatever you think of Nozick's political philosophy,
and there have been vehement objections to it, he does throw into
sharp relief the tension between individual rights and state intervention.
Anarchy,
State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick (Blackwell) £17.99/$24.00
A
new book will be featured from mid-October 2001.
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