Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Wanjiru Njoya
“The literal meaning of coercion is of little philosophical use, as it could mean anything that anyone feels under pressure to do against his will. The word ‘force’ is often used conversationally in that broad sense — ‘they ran out of the style I wanted, so I was forced to buy a different style.’ During the covid lockdowns there were heated debates over whether people had been ‘coerced’ into complying with the vaccination mandates as, predictably, those who enforced the mandates later claimed that no one was ‘forced’ to comply. … In The Constitution of Liberty, Friedrich von Hayek saw liberty as the highest value …. But he was, at the same time, keen not ‘to remain always on the plane of high ideals,’ quibbling fruitlessly about the meaning of words.” (08/12/25)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/meaning-coercion-hayekian-philosophy