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From: laura@utzoo.UUCP (Laura Creighton)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Freedom, coercion, and free markets (III)
Message-ID: <5112@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Feb-85 10:25:45 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5112
Posted: Tue Feb 26 10:25:45 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Feb-85 10:25:45 EST
References: <328@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> <4793@ucbvax.ARPA> <99@ucbcad.UUCP> <694@topaz.ARPA>, <115@ucbcad.UUCP>Re: Re: Re: Freedom, coercioTue, 26-Feb-85 10:25:45 EST
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 34

Wayne, 
your definition won't work. If you offer me a job and I take it this is
not coercion. Yet I would not have taken it if you were not there to
offer the choice to me.

Any workable definition of coercion is going to have to include that
the person being coerced is compelled to act against what he
considers his best interest. The usual things which compell
people to act this way is violence, threat of violence, and
fraud. 

If you aer going to see if you can use this definition, here is a
game you cannot play. You cannot say that when a mugger says ``your
money or your life'' it is now in your best interest to fork over the
money -- so you are acting in your best interest. These games
either assume that one can look at events distinct from their
immediate causes (and thus any time is good to begin thinking about
ethics) or that it is possible to live ethically while being
subject to the whims of others who are irrational and unethical to
boot.

Nothing doing.

If you adopt this definition of coercion (and I am perfectly willing
to expand the list of coercion to include thigns besides violence, threat of
violence and fraud if you can make a good case) then I think that you
must also accept teh ethical position of ethical egoism. Otherwise I do
not think that the principle of non-coercion can be justified.

I have to go to work now. I will write this one up (it is going to be long)
while I format packs today. sorry to break off so shortly.

Laura Creighton
utzoo!laura