Jan Narveson - Definition

Jan Narveson (b. 1936 in Erskine, Minnesota, USA), is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. A libertarian and contractarian, Narveson's form of right-libertarianism is deeply influenced by that of Robert Nozick and David Gauthier.

Narveson's principal work and manifesto is The Libertarian Idea. He has published many other works on government political philosophy. He is currently a member of the Ontario Libertarian Party's Ethics Committee.

Narveson studied at the University of Chicago where he obtained a B.A. in Political Science and in Philosophy, then spent a year at Oxford University (1959-60) on a travelling Fellowship before earning a PhD at Harvard University in 1961.

He is a member of the Order of Canada, and founder/president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society, the theatre for which is an addition on his home.