ABSTRACT
I agree with virtually all of Professor Cook’s conclusions concerning the nature of coercion, its social and historical role, and criteria for its justification. However, I find his argument flawed by a serious internal inconsistency. At first, it may appear that the inconsistency is of purely academic interest, but I believe it bears upon issues of great importance in social philosophy. I should like, therefore, to devote my comment to sorting out this single confusion.
