Overview

In 1974, Robert Nozick's book Anarchy, State, and Utopia moved libertarianism from a relatively neglected subset of political philosophy to the center of the discipline, as one of the most cogent critiques of social democracy and egalitarian liberalism. Nozick developed a rights-based account of libertarianism to show that a minimal state can legitimately arise, that nothing more than a minimal state is justified, and that the minimal state is not only morally right, but can also be an inspiring 'meta-utopia'. This volume presents Nozick's contributions to political philosophy in the context of his work in analytical philosophy. It also provides a biography of Nozick and considers the initial reception and long-term influence of his work.

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Reviews

The volumes in this timely series comprise the most comprehensive body of material on conservative and libertarian thought yet published in a single project devoted to the subject. The series will prove an indispensable tool not only for those concerned with the history of political thought but also for those who confront the challenging task of constructing a viable contemporary conservative identity. Professor Meadowcroft had a difficult editorial task, to which he has responded with a judicious choice of thinkers and topics. Noel O'Sullivan, Professor of Political Philosophy, the University of Hull, UK. Ralf Bader has given us an excellent guidebook to Anarchy, State, and Utopia, but he has done much more than this. He offers insightful arguments of his own, often in defense of Nozick against his nonlibertarian critics. His book is a major advance in libertarian political theory. * David Gordon, The Mises Review, February 2012 * Bader writes a fabulous book that is a must-read for any serious researcher on Nozick's political philosophy. * Dale Murray, The Reason Papers, October 2012 *

The volumes in this timely series comprise the most comprehensive body of material on conservative and libertarian thought yet published in a single project devoted to the subject. The series will prove an indispensable tool not only for those concerned with the history of political thought but also for those who confront the challenging task of constructing a viable contemporary conservative identity. Professor Meadowcroft had a difficult editorial task, to which he has responded with a judicious choice of thinkers and topics. Noel O'Sullivan, Professor of Political Philosophy, the University of Hull, UK.

Author Information

Ralf M. Bader read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford (St Edmund Hall), gaining a First Class degree. Having completed an MLitt in Philosophy with Distinction at the University of St Andrews, he is now working on his PhD at St Andrews and is currently a visiting researcher in the Philosophy Department at Stanford University.

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