Full Idea
Actions done because of fear of greater evils …give rise to disputes about whether they are voluntary. …But the agent does them voluntarily …because the starting-point of the action is internal to himself. The acts can even merit praise.
Gist of Idea
Bad actions done through fear are still voluntary, though they may still be praised
Source
Aristotle (Nicomachean Ethics [c.334 BCE], 1110a3-)
A Reaction
Aristotle is clear that it depends on the merit of the action, and the circumstances. He says Alcmaeon should have chosen death, rather than his actual murder of his mother. He decides that forced actions all start externally.
Book Reference
Aristotle: 'Nicomachean Ethics', ed/tr. Reeve, C.D.C. [Hackett 2024], p.35