On the Ethics of Manipulation

Semantically speaking, to manipulate merely means; to interact with, as in manipulating the rubic's cube. To the extent that one operates upon and controls something by manipulating it, there is no moral aspect to the action. It is mere fact that one manipulates the state of something they wish to change. The ethical line gets drawn when that which we wish to change has free will and a choice in the changing. It rather reminds me of the old joke, how many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one, but the lightbulb must be willing to change. If one manipulates the environment of another against that person's will and in the absence of a moral authority, then the manipulators ethics should be questioned.