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). My second book on this subject, Libertarian Philosophy in the Real World: The Politics of Natural Rights, was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2015. For additional information about libertarianism, this site, my books, and your host, please follow the links to the left.

New on the Blog

WTF Went Wrong With Steven Pinker

Posted on September 13, 2026 by Mark Friedman

It would be disappointing to hear any self-respecting scientist say that they declined to pursue a promising line of research because they were afraid of what they might learn. This plainly seems to contradict the entire purpose of science; that is, the painstaking and daunting search for the truth. Accordingly, I could not believe my eyes when I read this part of the August 20, 2026 edition of the Wall Street Journal regarding  a man for whom I previously had great respect:

“I think he’s dangerously tactless in a radioactive topic” and “should exercise more caution,” Steven Pinker, author and Harvard University evolutionary psychologist, said of Cofnas’s rhetoric on genetics’ role in intelligence. Pinker said examining potential racial discrepancies in intelligence “could cause harm to African Americans” and lead to discrimination against them. “There’s times in science where the best policy is don’t go there,” he said. Continue Reading »

Anniversary of Magna Carta

Posted on June 18, 2026 by Mark Friedman

In honor of the above, I am reposting an earlier essay commemorating this great event and explaining its significance for the development of liberty and the rule of law.