Robert Nozick: Utopia in libertarian perspective

Abstract

The author first looks at how the basic tenets of libertarianism, as presented in the opening chapters of Nozick’s “Anarchy, State and Utopia”, are connected with the idea of community. In the second section Nozick’s own conception of utopia and voluntary associations is discussed. In the closing section various critiques of this libertarian conception are analyzed. Though compatible with social co-operation, Nozick’s position rests on an indeterminate concept of rights and is incapable of explaining adequately the relations of mutual connectedness, i.e. community. Communities are treated as selfsufficient entities in a way that is in line with the communitarian standpoint, but incongruent with the republican model of integration. The latter objection refers especially to the conflict of loyalties to particular associations and to the “framework community”.

Keywords

• individual rights
• libertarianism
• community
• stability
• utopia