Robert Nozick’s Account of Human Nature and MacIntyre’s Criticism

The aim of this study is to characterize the anthropological foundation of Robert Nozick’s libertarian account of justice and compare it to MacIntyre’s theory. Nozick’s theory of justice is based on an individualistic account of human nature according to which human beings’ rights are prior to their ends; these rights, including property rights are inviolable. No account of the human good, common and public good can justify the violation of these rights. On the contrary, in MacIntyre’s view, the good is prior to the rights, there is no human being qua human being independent of its social roles and ends. It is the notion of the good that determine the true scope of rights. Human vulnerability also sets some limits on individual rights. Without a prior understanding of the good, it is not possible to settle moral dispute via argumentation.