Political philosophy is widely regarded as having been revived by the publication in 1971 of John Rawls' Theory of Justice. That work defended welfare-state liberalism, at that time the prevailing orthodoxy. A profound challenge was put to this orthodoxy by the publication in 1974 of Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State and Utopia. In arguing minimal government to be morally superior to all rivals, Nozick helped reawaken interest in classical liberal ideas.

Ever since, the ideal of minimal government has been under assault from three principal sets of critics. First, egalitarian welfare liberals find intolerable the level of inequality it allows. Second, communitarians claim it destroys community. Third, conservatives allege it undermines the basis for the patriotic allegiance on which they claim states rely for legitimacy and stability. Classical Liberalism defends minimum government against these charges, arguing it best advances human well-being.