Robert Nozick’s “Anarchy, State, and Utopia” advocates for a minimal, “night-watchman” state limited solely to protecting individuals from force, theft, and fraud. He argues that any state exceeding this minimal role undermines individual liberty by redistributing resources against consent. Central to his work is the entitlement theory of justice, which holds that holdings are just if acquired and transferred according to free, voluntary exchanges. Nozick envisions a utopia where diverse communities freely form around varying values, coexisting under a minimal state that protects their rights without imposing a singular vision of the good life.

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