Robert Nozick
Robert Nozick
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Robert Nozick was born on November 16, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents. He is commonly known by his full name, Robert Nozick.
Birth and Death Dates
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November 16, 1938 – January 23, 2002
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Nozick was an American philosopher, academician, and professor emeritus of philosophy at Harvard University. His work primarily focused on ethics, political theory, and epistemology.
Early Life and Background
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Growing up in Brooklyn, Nozick developed a passion for mathematics and science from an early age. He attended Columbia University as a teenager and graduated with a degree in chemistry by the time he was 18 years old. After serving in the United States Army Signal Corps, Nozick returned to academia, earning his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University.
Major Accomplishments
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Nozick's philosophical contributions significantly impacted various fields:
1. Anarchism and Minarchism: He proposed a libertarian theory that posited minimal state intervention as the most just form of government.
2. Distributive Justice: Nozick argued against Rawls' "difference principle," suggesting that individual talents and efforts, rather than social class, determine distribution of resources.
3. Philosophy of Mind: He explored the concept of qualia – subjective experiences not necessarily tied to physical properties.
Notable Works or Actions
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1. "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" (1974) – This influential book introduced Nozick's libertarian theory, challenging traditional views on state intervention.
2. "Philosophical Explanations" (1981) – A comprehensive work that discussed various aspects of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics.
Impact and Legacy
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Nozick's ideas have influenced many areas:
Libertarianism: His theory has shaped modern libertarian thought.
Political Philosophy: Nozick's critiques of Rawls' theories contributed to ongoing debates in distributive justice and social contract theory.
* Philosophy of Mind: His work on qualia helped advance discussions on the nature of subjective experience.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Robert Nozick is remembered for his groundbreaking contributions to libertarianism, philosophy of mind, and distributive justice. His critiques of Rawls' theories continue to inspire debate in these areas. His influence can be seen in various aspects of modern thought, including politics and ethics.
As a leading figure in 20th-century philosophy, Nozick's work continues to shape ongoing discussions about the nature of justice, individual rights, and subjective experience. His legacy serves as a testament to his enduring impact on the fields he explored throughout his distinguished career.
Quotes by Robert Nozick
The major public goals in my life are intellectual goals. There are various philosophical things that I want to work on and work out.
The history of philosophy is actually full of people who argue for rather wild and incredible views, and their reputations are based on the skill of arguing for them.
Perhaps faith is a faith in one's self, the belief that one wouldn't feel so moved by the encounter if it weren't divine, a trust in one's own deepest positive responses. To doubt it would involve a self-alienation.
What I was really saying in 'The Examined Life' was that I was no longer as hardcore a libertarian as I had been before.
The libertarian position I once propended now seems to me seriously inadequate, in part because it did not fully knit the humane considerations and joint cooperative activities it left room for more closely into its fabric.
There are only individual people, different individual people, with their own individual lives. Using one of these people for the benefit of others uses him and benefits the others. Nothing more. What happens is that something is done to him for the sake of others. Talk of an overall social good covers this up.
Intellectuals feel they are the most valuable people, the ones with the highest merit, and that society should reward people in accordance with their value and merit. But a capitalist society does not satisfy the principle of distribution 'to each according to his merit or value.'
Unsuccessful businessmen and workers do not have the same animus against the capitalist system as do the wordsmith intellectuals. Only the sense of unrecognized superiority, of entitlement betrayed, produces that animus.
Whoever makes something, having bought or contracted for all other held resources used in the process... is entitled to it. The situation is not one of something's getting made, and there being an open question of who is to get it. Things come into the world already attached to people having entitlement over them.
Faith is caused by an encounter with something very real but which has extraordinary qualities which intimate the divine; the belief is due to an encounter which specially mirrors some divine quality.