Question

For philosopher Robert Noziak, justice is:

Group of answer choices

A. obedience to what ever laws are in force

B. providing the greatest happiness for the largest number of people

C. protection of property that has been fairly acquired

D. a fair and equal disposition of liberty and wealth

Answer 1

Robert Nozick was an American philosopher, who was well known for his works in the field of epistemology, metaphysics, and in political philosophy that emphasized on justification by providing equal social and economic distribution so that it yields greatest benefit to every individual in the society.

According to him, the distribution of wealth and liberty should be equally distributed in a fair and equal manner only then it is called justice, or else it is unjust. In his book named, 'Anarchy, State and Utopia', Nozick referred a term called the 'minimalist state' which is a state that serves like a night watchman and has limited powers to protect the citizens from acts of violence, fraud or theft. He believed in anarchism that opposes the acts of the government which forces or compels the people to do or not to do certain things. He did not accept any other states other than the minimal state. He emphasized that the state must have powers which enable it to distribute or redistribute its wealth with greater equally to its citizens. He says that every individual has their own natural rights to their life, liberty, and property. So, when the state uses more powers to imposes certain things on its citizens, it is seen as a violation of the individual's natural rights.  

Nozick developed three principles of just distribution. These principles together form the framework for the entitlement theory of justice. They are as follows:

1. The first principle - Just acquisition stated that, individuals can obtain any property as per their wish but that property must not be previously owned by someone else, or must not be taken by acts of theft, by threatening others, by act of fraudulent or criminal deception.

2. The second principal - Just transfer states that, individuals can exchange or transfer properties as long as it is not accompanied by any acts of theft, by threatening others, by act of fraudulent or criminal deception.

3. The third principle - Just rectification states that, if any of the acquisition or transfer is not done in a just manner, it should be rectified by following the two above mentioned principles so that it becomes a just distribution.

If a person has acquired or transferred his belongings in a just manner following these principles, then he or she is morally entitled to what they have. The entitlement theory of justice states that, when all members of the society are morally entitled to what they own, then the distributions of holdings in that society will be just.