Coercion

Coercion is the practice of compelling a person to act by employing threat of harm (usually physical force, sometimes other forms of harm). Often, it involves the use of actual force in order to make the threat credible, but it is the threat of (further) force which brings about cooperation of the person being coerced.

Related Topics:
Threat - Credible - Cooperation

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The term usually has a pejorative connotation, implying that such threat or force is unethical. However, coercion may also be used in defense, against one who has initiated coercion. It is directly related to appeal to the stick (a form of argument in logic).

Related Topics:
Pejorative - Unethical - Appeal to the stick - Argument - Logic

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As opposition to coercion is central to the philosophy of libertarianism, libertarians present specific definitions of coercion. They typically define it as any use of physical force, the threat of such, or deception (fraud) that alters the way an individual would use his person or property if those elements were not present. It is regarded that any actions that is not subject to the influence of any of these elements is voluntary.

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