Anarchy, State, and Utopia

by Robert Nozick (Author)

80 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0465097203

ISBN-10: 0465097200

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In this brilliant and widely acclaimed book, winner of the 1975 National Book Award, Robert Nozick challenges the most commonly held political and social positions of our age—liberal, socialist, and conservative.

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About the Author

Robert Nozick was the Joseph Pellegrino University Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University.

Product details

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Basic Books (November 11, 1977)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0465097200
ISBN-13: 978-0465097203
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 80 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #845,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #235 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Ideologies & Doctrines > Anarchism
- #772 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics > Political Freedom
- #897 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Political Science > Political Ideologies

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Best read in conjunction with John Rawls' "A Theory of ...

June 23, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Best read in conjunction with John Rawls' "A Theory of Justice," Nozick's book is a classic of political thought. He advances a simple, elegant, and difficult-to-argue-with libertarianism, one that forms a foundation for libertarian thinking today. Whether or not you agree with him, this is essential reading for anyone trying to understand libertarian philosophy today.

4 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

but it doesn't waste words and is concise in its arguments

June 16, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Very interesting read for anyone interested in a very logic-chain based political science/philosophy argument. Keep in mind that it's very dense and takes a very close read to grasp, but it doesn't waste words and is concise in its arguments. The classic read for a libertarian.

4 people found this helpful

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January 4, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Nozick's work has long been regarded as a staple of political philosophy, and with good reason. His prose is engaging, and his logic compelling. Nozick is an excellent and insightful critic of the state; between just the two of them, his Wilt Chamberlain and Tale of a Slave illustrations roundly demolish pretty much all arguments for a central state, but he goes into far more depth as well.

The final section -- Utopia -- is rather interesting, as Nozick takes a somewhat eclectic viewpoint, arguing that utopia is the journey and not the destination. He spends little time on existing utopian theory, instead pointing out (rightly) the flaws common to virtually all of it, and then discussing an alternative way of considering the idea.

Where Nozick is weakest is his treatment of the alleged necessity of the minimal state; despite thinking he has answered the objections of individualist anarchists, he has at best dodged them. He finishes his treatment of the subject with an entire chapter full of silly utilitarianism, theorising about means of maximising total utils without ever explaining what a util is or how one could possibly measure it, and declares the matter settled. Yet never does he explain what mechanism actually makes it okay to put a gun to somebody's head and extract revenue; perhaps that makes the utils come out.

Overall, this is a highly engaging book, and a must-read for any serious student of political philosophy.

10 people found this helpful

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Insightful and Ethical Political Philosophy

September 7, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A very challenging work of philosophy. Not an easy read, but a very rewarding one; Robert Nozick clearly and exhaustively lays out the groundwork for a truly ethical and consistent analysis of politics and government. The book arrived promptly and was exactly as advertised. Excellent service.

One person found this helpful

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Profound analysis on the role of state

August 2, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Excellent analysis on the morally appropriate organization of a state from many angles. The reasoning is complex at times and the narrative is not always easy to follow, but the conclusions are well thought out and compelling.

Definitely recommended for everyone interested in political philosophy no matter what your current opinions are on the subject. The book is not just presenting one “truth”, but explores a number of alternative views with a conclusion well grounded in the arguments presented. I don’t think you need to agree with the author’s conclusions, at least I enjoyed and was impressed by the quality of the argumentation as such.

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David L. Kendall

What we all know is true, but do not necessarily know why.

January 17, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Nozick's book is difficult to read, but it is worth the effort. One does not read AS&U from front to back. One must read, reread, reflect, and reread again to understand the ideas offered. People who have not read and understood the ideas of Nozick and his colleague John Rawls really should not bother with writing about the political economy, for they have nothing useful or interesting to say.

One person found this helpful

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Kathleen A Baron

Lucid, insightful, and funny!

May 7, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Nozick explains in clear and insightful ways for a libertarian view that ennobles the individual, but at the same time maintaining an appropriate role for the state. He has many examples and unlike many philosophers, he is funny; there are examples and anecdotes that will make you laugh. Nozick is the best counter example to Rawls.

4 people found this helpful

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An Excellent and Novel Application of Lockean Natural Right's Theory

February 17, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Robert Nozick's Anarchy State and Utopia attempts to provide three different arguments for two different conclusions. The first argument is that anarchy is an impossible system, and thus it is necessary (both morally and practically) to have at least a minimal state. The second argument is that there are no practical, moral, or positive reasons to institute provisions into a state more than a minimal state. The final argument is that a utopian world is one where individuals are free to decide the utopian model they prefer without external limitations prohibiting that decision (outside of those set within each particular small community that, if they did not exist, would fundamentally change the character of that particular community). I found both his arguments and conclusions convincing, and many of his views on the nature of rights I found compelling.
Still, his writing style can be difficult. He is an academic (a Harvard academic no less), and his chief concern is addressing other academics and people who would understand these academics. He does not go as far as Immanuel Kant in Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics and say that if you do not understand him that the subject is too advanced for you and you should give up on political philosophy. Nevertheless, it should be stated somewhere that if you cannot grasp his ideas, you need to read the source texts in order to gain that foundational knowledge. Of these foundational texts, John Rawls's A Theory of Justice may be the most important. I personally have only read excerpts. This made part 2, which addresses Rawls's book directly, significantly more difficult to appreciate.
The book receives four out of five stars because readability is crucially important. While most of his targeted audience would understand his prose, this does not mean that he could not attempt to make the writing more consumable by more people. Every writer must make it their mission to have the widest possible audience, and he did not.

5 people found this helpful

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