Matt Zwolinski - Are Markets Coercive?

Matt Zwolinski - Are Markets Coercive?

From The Curious Task by Institute for Liberal Studies

June 10, 2026 · 1h 12m · Episode 356

About this episode

Alex speaks with Matt Zwolinski about the complexities of whether markets are coercive.

In this episode, Alex speaks with Matt Zwolinski about whether markets are coercive, and why the answer is more complicated than either “markets are voluntary” or “capitalism is coercion.” They discuss Robert Hale’s classic argument, the limits of standard libertarian responses, and why a better liberal defence of markets has to take real-world coercion seriously without treating all coercion as morally equal. References: Matt Zwolinski, “Are markets coercive?” Robert L. Hale, “Coercion and Distribution in a Supposedly Non-Coercive State” Thomas Nixon Carver, Principles of National Economy Sohrab Ahmari, Tyranny, Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty—and What to Do About It F. A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask

People in this episode

Host: Alex

Guest: Matt Zwolinski

Topics covered

  • markets
  • coercion
  • libertarianism
  • capitalism
  • liberalism

Keywords

  • markets
  • coercion
  • libertarian responses
  • real-world coercion
  • liberal defense

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Are markets coercive?, Coercion and Distribution in a Supposedly Non-Coercive State, Principles of National Economy, Tyranny, Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty—and What to Do About It, The Constitution of Liberty

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