Anarrchy State And Utopia Analysis

Robert Nozick’s “Anarchy, State and Utopia” makes a case for laissez-faire system of government, arguing that only a minimal state is justifiable and legitimate. Nozick, like Locke and Hobbes, based his foundation of theory on the idea of a “state of nature”, understood as the condition people find themselves in when there is no established government or political authority. Nozick then presents this idea of an “invisible hand” justification of state. Nozick believes that individuals, during the pursuit of their interests and improving their own conditions will ultimately lead to a minimal state. Nozick’s work has four major flaws that must be addressed. First, his idea of Individual rights and the foundation of the minimal state are both vague and one-dimensional in nature and based upon assumptions about human behavior that don’t clearly support the evidence or argument Nozick presents. Secondly, the moral laws supported by his constant theme of separateness of person, ironically advocates that individuals neglect the idea of charity and compassion for the fellow man. Thirdly, The Entitlement theory of Justice is self- contradictory due to its dualistic nature and the three principles of justice are inadequate due to the third principle being undefined.
From the start of the Preface, Nozick begins “Anarchy, State and Utopia” with the claim that “individuals have rights”. Nozick does not define his idea of individual rights which is assumed to lead to the structure of his proposed minimal state. Nozick neglects to defend this position but instead assumes that this view is intuitively shared by most. Nozick assumes that there is a previously established rational moral law which determines the absolute rights that individuals pos...

... middle of paper ...

...nt of rectification and would literally be an unrealistic feat due to the historical past of most societies, specifically the fraudulent past of the United States.
There is a constant theme of inconsistent and self-contradictions in Nozick’s "Anarchy, State, and Utopia". The minimal state he proposes cannot survive as intended without a sense of equality and some sort of “safety net” for less fortunate citizens. Nozick’s moral laws call for self-seeking society that is penalized for providing for those who may not otherwise have access to necessities. The flaw in the entitlement theory of justice cannot be fixed without introducing some form of constant interference in individuals' private transactions to maintain order. It is clear through closer examination that the proposed “invisible hand” of the state needs to be seen in plain sight in order to be effective.