First published in 1974, in response to John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice, Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia has since become one of the defining texts in contemporary classical liberal thought. Challenging and ultimately rejecting liberal, socialist, and conservative agendas, Nozick boldly asserts that the rights of individuals are violated as a state's responsibilities increase—and the only way to avoid these violations rests in the creation of a minimalist state limited to protection against force, fraud, theft, and the enforcement of contracts.
