Nozick's Entitlement Theory

Nozick’s Entitlement Theory is a theory of justice regarding property ownership. It states that individuals are entitled to their holdings if they acquired them fairly, either through initial just acquisition, transfer (buying, gifting), or rectifying past injustices. The theory emphasizes that any resulting distribution is just as long as these processes are legitimate, regardless of whether the outcome is equal or unequal. It rejects redistributive policies like forced taxation for redistribution, arguing that justice depends on respecting individuals’ acquisition and transfer rights, not on achieving a specific pattern of wealth distribution.