Nozick advances step by step like an interminable steamroller through political theory. His arguments are piecemeal, all follow logically, and bring me to ends I totally disagree with such as ‘taxation of earnings from labor is on a par with forced labor’ (slavery), but I’m hard pressed to articulate why I disagree. He also treats and handles objections and counterpoints with the greatest respect, and dismantles each one.
First Nozick walks us through how the state naturally arises through a monopoly on mutual protection-associations, showing in the process that it is both inevitable, and also our moral imperative to create a minimal state. Then he shows that since we have no choice but to participate in a state, the state has no moral ground on which to impose on us any ruling beyond the bare minimum, finally concluding with an overview of ideas of utopia, and why utopia is in fact the minimal state and where we each have the totality of choice to create our own ideal communities.
Overall I have to conclude that this book is a masterpiece, despite how upset I am with its ultra-libertarian conclusions, and wonderfully written to boot, with interjections of humour and character throughout.