ASU Ch. 2: The State of Nature

There are four threads to this chapter.

1. A brief explanation of John Locke's view of the state of nature
2. Nozick's own views on the state of nature, leading to his conclusion that a dominant Rights Protection Association (RPA) would emerge.
3. A discussion of "Invisible Hand explanations". The term invisible hand is, of course, taken from Adam Smith and Nozick applies it in a broad sense, including to his own explanation of the emergence of the state.
4. An explanation of why Nozick does not believe the dominant RPA constitutes a State.

ASU Ch.1: Why State of Nature theory?

Nozick makes two key arguments in this chapter:

1. It should be assumed that in the state of nature people "satisfy moral constraints and generally act as they ought."
2. If a state would arise from the state of nature without violating any rights then this can justify an existing state, even if the way in which the actual state came to be bears no resemblance to the way a non-rights-violating state would emerge.