Matt Zwolinski - Are Markets Coercive? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 10, 2026 · 1H 11M

Matt Zwolinski - Are Markets Coercive?

from The Curious Task · host Institute for Liberal Studies

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

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

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Matt Zwolinski - Are Markets Coercive?

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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...

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