Nozick on Distributive Justice
Justice Paper 2
-Ankur Shah
Nozick says that "liberty upsets patterns." Critically assess this claim. Be sure to: I. Explain what the quoted phrase means (what Nozick means by “liberty” and by “patterns”); II. Discuss how Rawls would respond to Nozick’s thesis; III. Explain whether Nozick is right that liberty upsets patterns; IV. If Nozick is right, then discuss whether such "upsetting" of patterns provides a sound reason for rejecting patterns, or for regulating liberty.
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“Liberty upsets patterns”
In his book “Anarchy, state and utopia”, Nozick provides a moral defense for Libertarianism, which is traditionally defined as “the advocacy of individual liberty, especially freedom of thought and action”. The core idea behind Nozick’s Libertarianism is the concept of “self-ownership,” which means that each individual belongs totally and entirely to himself and not to anyone else (Cohen Lecture6). Based on this concept, Nozick sets the premise for Possessive Libertarianism, in which any reduction of liberty is a violation of basic rights and that interference reduces a person’s liberty if and only if the interference is unjustified” (Cohen Lecture6). To justify his claims Nozick purports that a minimalistic state is the only form of governance that is dedicated to protecting basic rights. Furthermore, he argues against equality or any form of distributive justice because any pattern designed for distribution of goods conflicts directly with the protection of liberty, specifically the rights of self-ownership.
In this paper I present Nozick’s definition of “liberty” and “pattern” and prove that based on Nozick’s conventions for these terms, liberty and pattern are incompatible. Furthermore, I explore possible counterarguments from Rawls and provide my justification for why liberty takes precedence over maintaining the pattern.
What Nozick means by “liberty” and by “patterns”
In order to
-Ankur Shah
Nozick says that "liberty upsets patterns." Critically assess this claim. Be sure to: I. Explain what the quoted phrase means (what Nozick means by “liberty” and by “patterns”); II. Discuss how Rawls would respond to Nozick’s thesis; III. Explain whether Nozick is right that liberty upsets patterns; IV. If Nozick is right, then discuss whether such "upsetting" of patterns provides a sound reason for rejecting patterns, or for regulating liberty.
-------------------------------------------------
“Liberty upsets patterns”
In his book “Anarchy, state and utopia”, Nozick provides a moral defense for Libertarianism, which is traditionally defined as “the advocacy of individual liberty, especially freedom of thought and action”. The core idea behind Nozick’s Libertarianism is the concept of “self-ownership,” which means that each individual belongs totally and entirely to himself and not to anyone else (Cohen Lecture6). Based on this concept, Nozick sets the premise for Possessive Libertarianism, in which any reduction of liberty is a violation of basic rights and that interference reduces a person’s liberty if and only if the interference is unjustified” (Cohen Lecture6). To justify his claims Nozick purports that a minimalistic state is the only form of governance that is dedicated to protecting basic rights. Furthermore, he argues against equality or any form of distributive justice because any pattern designed for distribution of goods conflicts directly with the protection of liberty, specifically the rights of self-ownership.
In this paper I present Nozick’s definition of “liberty” and “pattern” and prove that based on Nozick’s conventions for these terms, liberty and pattern are incompatible. Furthermore, I explore possible counterarguments from Rawls and provide my justification for why liberty takes precedence over maintaining the pattern.
What Nozick means by “liberty” and by “patterns”
In order to
Cited: Arnold, Scott. Nozick. n.d. 2010 June . Brown, Lachlan. The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 October 2003. June 2010 . Feser, Edward. Internet encyclopedia of philosophy. 4 May 2005. June 2010 . Lacewing, Michael. "Rawls and Nozick of Justice." n.d. June 2010 . Nozick, Robert. Anarchy, State and Utopia. New York: Basic Books, 1974. Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Belknap, 1971.