Coercion: The wrong and the bad

Abstract

The idea of coercion serves two distinct moral functions and, correspondingly, consists of two overlapping but distinct concepts: one that serves to mark out a type of moral wrong, and one that serves to mark out a type of moral bad. The distinction between these two concepts holds the key to resolving a number of problems in moral and political philosophy, including questions about the coerciveness of the state and questions about the coerciveness of various kinds of economic transaction.