I have an assignment for philosophy class, pretty much just an open ended thesis on "utopia". Would Robert Nozicks book AS&U be a good reference? i assume it would since 'utopia' is in the title.
do we get free cheezeburger in socielism?
I think the main thesis is that The Utopia can only be a framework for Utopias (which is a minimal state if I'm not mistaken). You should at least check it out if you can find it in a library (or online...)
Ya, i'm pretty sure i'd have a trouble finding it at the library, especially living in a blue state.
It would perfect but perhaps a little dense.
Try amazon, half, or abebooks.com
Let us know what you come up with!
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dense? not sure what you mean by that
Do you have any research suggestions, good books on utopia etc? I assume i would have to start with a good background on the most prolific utopian philosophers; Plato, Voltaire, and Marx. But obviously I want to throw in my free market bias.
fezwhatley: dense? not sure what you mean by that Do you have any research suggestions, good books on utopia etc? I assume i would have to start with a good background on the most prolific utopian philosophers; Plato, Voltaire, and Marx. But obviously I want to throw in my free market bias.
I guess by "dense", he means that it's proper analytic philosophy; hence, not like reading a novel... Actually, the utopia part of the book (the last chapter) is the easiest one to read; so, i wouldn't worry too much about that. Besides, Nozick has a lot of humour -;)
If you want a libertarian vision of utopia, it is the best book on the topic. And it is worth reading entirely, not only the utopian part; i'd believe it's the best / most effective defence of libertarianism on purely analytic grounds and a classic.
thebob: I think the main thesis is that The Utopia can only be a framework for Utopias (which is a minimal state if I'm not mistaken). You should at least check it out if you can find it in a library (or online...)
Indeed, it is: you create your own utopia (whichever is your dreamed one) and try to convince other individuals to move in (or you join theirs, as you please), the "minimal state" / main protection agency is just in charge of arbitrating the boundaries conflicts between competing utopian communities and judging whether individual rights have been respected by said communities in their application of their own contracting in agreements.
You cannot find it online for free. But it is on Amazon and, i'd believe, in any decent academic library.
Other books you might wish to look at:
Otsuka, Libertarianism without inequality; the last chapter dwells into similar issues as those dealt with by Nozick and adopts the same kind of approach, although it is not as strong as the original nor as pleasantly written. The author is a starting-gate libertarian but this doesn't show too much in that particular piece; by opposition, the (previous) chapters on the right to property are quite leftist.
Moore, Utopia; an obvious classic, though not particulalrly libertarian.
I think Rawl's "A Theory of Justice" might be more valuable than Plato, Voltaire, and Marx for time purposes.
Dense: not easy reading.
Wikipedia is a great start (but no a final resource) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy,_State,_and_Utopia
There's also "The Voluntary City: Choice, Community, and Civil Society" which also might work as a good reference.
"Government is just a group of men and women doing business at the barrel of a gun." — Marc Stevens, No State Project
jmw: I think Rawl's "A Theory of Justice" might be more valuable than Plato, Voltaire, and Marx for time purposes. Dense: not easy reading. Wikipedia is a great start (but no a final resource) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy,_State,_and_Utopia
Well ASU is essentially a reply to that book from non-statist principles, so I'd go for ASU if you're choosing between the two.
If it's about the concept of Utopia, then you should look into that town in Indiana (&c), but I'd say you don't want to categorise AnCapism as utopian - that's what many lefties and minarchists have been saying all along!
The difference between libertarianism and socialism is that libertarians will tolerate the existence of a socialist community, but socialists can't tolerate a libertarian community.
Thedesolateone: I'd say you don't want to categorise AnCapism as utopian - that's what many lefties and minarchists have been saying all along!
I'd say you don't want to categorise AnCapism as utopian - that's what many lefties and minarchists have been saying all along!
Certainly not. The philosophy of the pure free market acknowledges that the world is imperfect, and that no system can ever be without flaws. Therefore it contends that no single system should be forced upon anyone. It is not utopian to advocate giving the problem-solving force that is the free market all the room it needs to solve our endless problems.
Pro Christo et Libertate integre!
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