Nozick On Public Education

For Nozick, it seems as if the enforcement of contracts is something that is implemented by the State through the taxation of individuals income is more important over an excellent educational structure. But this seems odd, that Nozick would refute a society that offers public education to individuals. Public education is the one of the productive areas that is to thank when talking about wealth. The right to education is an essential right that needs to be fostered by the State because not everyone has the luxury to pay for it. Education is such an important need, but Nozick is not arguing that education is unjust instead he is referring to the act of having some other individual pay for it. The problem stems from the unconsented money that …show more content…
The development of the person in turn is due to the society that encourages and fosters it. A community that encourages its people to become engaged in the general well-being of the society is a society that thrives in all senses of the word. The only way to have a society that thrives is if you have educated individuals that are making educated decisions that determine the positive well-being of the community. Education allows for the creation of a democracy that is capable of making educated decisions, which allows it to compete in the international market. However, without education you cannot have a democracy that competes; it becomes a society that is only good within of itself. Redistributive taxation helps the society thrive and even open up the sphere so that the wealthy become …show more content…
Charles Taylor in Atomism, reiterates Aristotle’s point that man is a social animal because he cannot thrive alone. (Taylor) Individuals need the help of others in order to fully experience the extent of their rights and liberties. Perhaps the reason why Nozick’s notion of redistributive taxation sounds a bit silly is because his concept of an individual, that one can thrive by him/herself, is incorrect. Taylor’s explanation of the individual is that it needs to be part of a society in order to grow as a person. Freedom, for the individual, then requires people be able to conceive of multiple choices, decide what they want and figuring out what they are loyal to; Options are necessary for autonomy. In connection to the right of education, autonomy for the individual means being able to make the correct choices. The only way these choices could be made is if the individual is educated in what the world has to offer and what kinds of things they want to participate in. A society that allows the freedom of choice between its citizens is a society that has "museums, symphony orchestras, universities, laboratories, political parties, law courts, representative assemblies, newspapers, publishing houses, televisions stations" as well as the underpinnings of those structures "buildings, railroads, sewage plants, power grids and so on" (Taylor). This kind of society fosters the idea of