Anarchy, State, and Utopia

Robert Nozick is a promising young philosophical illusionist whose act at the exclusive Harvard club wows the crowd every night. He can pull a synthetic a priori proposition out of a hat and then juggle six syllogisms while making it all look easy. His patter is excellent and ladies swoon over his b......more

This book had a huge impact on me when I read it at the age of 22 as a post-grad student of political philosophy. It is really only know, at the age of 44, that I realise quite how much Bob Nozick's master-work has shaped my thinking on the state, politics and society over the past 22 years. I came t......more

ASU is a classic work of political philosophy and is widely considered to be the definitive text defending libertarian political theory, which claims that the only justifiable form of political society is one with minimal government and laissez-faire economic system. The proper role of the state is......more

The first 40-50 pages were almost unreadable. A few clear statements surrounded by almost impossible to understand or follow statements that just did not seem well connected or to logically prove anything. I was actually very disappointed, since I had heard so many positive things about the book for......more

The book starts with Locke's state of nature and the anarchist's claim that any state is illegitimate, abusive, and immoral. Then assumes a working and perfect economy along with rational, self-interested, free, and perfectly informed economic agents. The main claim is that given only such assumptio......more