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Barbara H. Fried presents a powerful critique of the nonconsequentialist approaches that have been dominant in recent Anglophone moral and political thought. She argues that nonconsequentialist theories have disastrous consequences in the political domain and are inadequate at dealing with conflicts of individual interests in the moral domain.

Intro -- CONTENTS -- Preface -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Empty Idea of Liberty -- 3. The Empty Idea of Property Rights -- 4. A Rent-Theory World -- 5. Property Theory in Practice: Rate Regulation of Public Utilities -- 6. Conclusion -- Notes -- Index.

At 30 years' distance, it is safe to say that Nozick's Anarchy,
State and Utopia has achieved the status of a classic. It is not only the
central text for all contemporary academic discussions of libertarianism;
with Rawls's A Theory of Justice, it arguably frames the landscape of
academic political philosophy in second half of 20th century. Many factors,
obviously account for the prominence of the book. This paper considers one:
the book's use of rhetoric to charm and disarm its readers,
simultaneously establishing Nozick's credibility with readers, turning
them on his ideological opponents, and helping his argument over some of its
more serious substantive difficulties.