Welcome

This site is devoted to advancing the rights-based political philosophy first articulated by John Locke and championed prominently in our day by the late Robert Nozick in his classic Anarchy, State, and Utopia [1974].  It will do so by explaining minimal state libertarianism in a way that is accessible to the intelligent general reader and by hosting a forum that will subject its key ideas to scrutiny and debate.

I make my own modest contribution to this cause in my book, Nozick’s Libertarian Project: An Elaboration and Defense (London: Continuum International, 2011), which was published in the United States in May of last year. A softcover edition will be available in September. For additional information about libertarianism, this site, my book, and your host, please follow the links to the left.

New on the Blog

Equality As A Proxy Value

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Mark Friedman

As one prominent editorial writer has recently observed, we are a nation “obsessed” with inequality: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/04/18/the_inequality_obsession_277904.html. Countless academic studies have been conducted in order to determine whether, over the last several decades, the United States has become more or less equal in terms of our incomes and wealth, and how we compare in this regard to other developed countries. Our politicians make constant, sometimes subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle, appeals for the government to, as President Obama put it, “spread the wealth around.” And, it must be said, a substantial portion of voters seem amenable to this demand. Continue Reading »

Democracy Versus the Rule of Law

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Mark Friedman

   Politicians and media commentators generally assume that “democracy” is an intrinsic good, i.e. something that is always to be desired, and valuable for its own sake. So, they say things like, “wouldn’t it be great if the protestors prevail and Egypt becomes a democracy.” Well, no. If Egypt becomes a representative democracy this will be great for political Islam and very bad for independent-minded women, gays, Christians and any other group that does not completely conform to the dictates of traditional Islam.  Continue Reading »

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