How did Robert Nozick connect labor to property rights?

Robert Nozick connected labor to property rights through the lens of natural rights, building upon the philosophy of John Locke. Nozick argued that individuals possess the fundamental right to self-ownership, which includes the right to claim the fruits or products of their own labor as property.1

Because individuals own themselves and their labor, they have the moral authority to dispose of their property as they see fit, provided they do not violate the rights of others. Nozick maintained that this principle is central to his entitlement theory of justice, which posits that a distribution of holdings is just if it arises from legitimate means, such as the initial appropriation of unowned resources or voluntary transfer.12

Consequently, Nozick argued that state interference—such as mandatory taxation to fund social services—is unjust because it effectively treats the fruits of an individual's labor as belonging to the state rather than the individual. He famously characterized such redistribution as a form of "forced labour," asserting that it violates the natural rights of citizens to control their own lives and property.1