Robert Nozick (November 16, 1938 – January 23, 2002) was an American political philosopher at Harvard University, and most famous as author of Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974), a libertarian critique of John Rawls' A Theory of Justice. Nozick also pioneered a thought experiment called the experience machine, which attempted to show that people prefer real experiences compared to simulations (refuting ethical hedonism), and the utility monster thought experiment to show that utilitarianism is not egalitarian.