Blackwell Reference Online

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is one of a family of concepts such as duress and force. It refers to one method by which one person can motivate another to do something. We typically say that A coerces B to do X when A gets B to do something by threatening to harm B or by making B worse off in case B should not do X . We also often say that coercion interferes with one's freedom or autonomy, that if B is coerced into doing X (or does X under duress), then B 's action is involuntary. Roughly speaking, there are two philosophical questions about coercion: (1) what counts as coercion? (2) when are individuals or the state justified in using coercion? The second question is, of course, a central problem of political philosophy ( see liberty ). This entry focuses on (1). Understanding what counts as coercion is important for several reasons. First, we do not hold individuals responsible for actions that are the products of coercion. A coerced promise or contract is neither morally nor legally binding; a defendant is not guilty if he was coerced into performing a crime. Second, various social practices such as surrogate motherhood, sales of bodily parts, and the volunteer army, have been criticized on the grounds that poverty effectively coerces people into such an arrangement. Third, capitalist theory assumes that market transactions are free, even if they are made against a background ... log in or subscribe to read full text