Nozick: A Utilitarian Reformulation

This essay discusses the means by which Nozick implicitly denies the conclusion that redistribution increases aggregate well-being. The author attempts to show how Nozick exaggerates the burden that redistribution places on the rich. Moreover, an attempt is made to show Nozick minimizes the needs of the poor, and further minimizes the suffering his system could cause. Finally, the author compares Nozick's implicit utilitarian arguments against redistribution with Jeremy Bentham's explicit reservations about redistribution.