On the Surprising Implications of Coercion Theory

According to much of self-labelled coercion theory, the state is both the ground of egalitarian demands of distributive justice, and the (sole) domain to which such demands apply, in virtue of its exercise of coercive power which only distributive equality can justify. This article argues that, when properly unpacked in its theoretical commitments, coercion theory has surprising implications both within and beyond borders. Within borders, coercion is either *fully* justified by its necessity for autonomy; or it is not, in which case egalitarian distributions cannot do the trick, either – although *political* equality might. Beyond borders, the view turns out to have significantly demanding global implications, contrary to how it is often presented. It indeed differs from global egalitarianism simpliciter, but it gives rise to an interesting, complex set of cross-border obligations which reach far beyond the ‘global sufficiency, domestic equality’ picture. This surprising account of the implications of coercion theory rests on a crucial insight: when closely examined, the view turns out to be grounded in a natural duty of justice account of political obligation.

Global Justice: What is Necessary to Legitimate Coercion

There is little agreement about what grounds obligations of distributive justice. This paper defends cosmopolitan coercion theory against recent criticism that coercive rule is not even sufficient to generate obligations of distributive justice. On one of the most sustained arguments against the idea that coercion is sufficient to generate obligations of distributive justice, critics object that coercion, and other nonvoluntary relationships, cannot fix the scope, or content, of these obligations. At best, critics argue, nonvoluntary relationships can ground obligations of charity or humanity. This paper argues that this Scope/Content Critique fails, in part, because it does not recognize the motivation for coercion theories. Moreover, despite assertions to the contrary, the Scope/Content Critique assumes coercion must suffice to ground obligations of distributive justice. Nonvoluntarists can hold there are many things, in addition to nonvoluntary relations, that can ground them.

The Political Ape

This chapter describes social-coercion theory as conceptualized by Paul Bingham and Joanne Souza. This theory, which pertains to the evolution of human uniqueness, helps us understand how humans evolved to coordinate social activities in small non–kin-based groups. The tendency of humans to form such coordinated alliances is a foundational part of our evolutionary history that sets us apart from other apes in important ways. Further, this theory can help us understand the emergence of democracy and egalitarianism as basic aspects of the human social world. Understanding the principles that underlie this theory can help us understand factors associated with positive functioning in human communities.

The New Human Science

All prior attempts to understand human origins, behavior, and history have led to paradoxes and dilemmas, highly resistant to resolution. This chapter reviews specific cases of failures to resolve these apparent paradoxes and dilemmas in human evolution and the social sciences. The authors argue that these failures are rooted in confusing proximate with ultimate causation. They further argue that a sound theory of human origins, behavior, and history (social coercion theory) can help to understand the human condition scientifically; specifically, this theory argues that all the unique properties of humans emerge from the unprecedented human social evolution, driven, in turn by the evolution of cost-effective coercive management of conflicts of interest. Finally, the authors argue that social coercion theory yields the first general theory of history, economics, and politics, which provides an approach to problems within the social sciences while armed with a grasp of ultimate causation. Consequently, formerly intractable scientific questions and social concerns become manageable and solvable.

The Role of Anxiety in Coercive Family Processes with Aggressive Children

The majority of aggressive children exhibit symptoms of anxiety. This chapter outlines a novel theoretical model that builds explicitly on coercion theory, linking aggression with the regulation of anxiety in both caregivers and children. Three hypotheses are suggested and data are applied to support this model: (1) unpredictable oscillations between permissive and hostile parenting (two distinct aspects of the coercive cycle) induces anxiety in children, which in turn triggers aggressive behavior; (2) peer relations and difficult school contexts exacerbate anxiety, which in turn may trigger bouts of aggression that function as regulation for distressing emotions; and (3) to improve the efficacy of treatments for childhood aggression, anxiety needs to be one of the primary targets of treatment. Almost no research has directly tested these hypotheses, but the chapter reviews extant research and theory consistent with these claims and suggests future research designs that can test them specifically.

Short- and Long-term Impacts of a Coercion Theory–Based Intervention on Aggression on the School Playground

Aggression between students at school is a common problem, particularly within the context of the school playground. Key mechanisms in coercion theory, including positive and negative reinforcement for aggression and peer deviancy training, can operate with abandon on school playgrounds without adult supervision, monitoring, and appropriate intervention. The Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) multimodal preventive intervention, designed to address aggression on the playground, is described. The short-term and intermediate follow-up findings from a randomized controlled trial of LIFT on aggression on the playground as well as other forms of child antisocial behavior are overviewed. Long-term follow-up findings on the relations between playground aggression and antisocial behaviors during mid-adolescence and emerging adulthood are then reported. It is argued that to be effective, coercion theory–based prevention programs like LIFT need to continue across elementary school and into secondary school, rather than be delivered at only one point in time.