Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T00:25:20.711Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

How bad can a good enough parent be?*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

Liam Shields
Liam Shields*
Affiliation:
Politics, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
*
Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Almost everyone accepts that parents must provide a good enough upbringing in order to retain custodial rights over children, but little has been said about how that level should be set. In this paper, I examine ways of specifying a good enough upbringing. I argue that the two dominant ways of setting this level, the Best Interests and Abuse and Neglect Views, are mistaken. I defend the Dual Comparative View, which holds that an upbringing is good enough when shortfalls from the best alternative upbringing in terms of the child's interests are no more significant than the parents' interest.

Keywords

Parents' rightschildren's rightsjustice in upbringing
Type
Critical Notice
Information
Canadian Journal of Philosophy , Volume 46 , Issue 2 , April 2016 , pp. 163 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Journal of Philosophy 2016

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

For comments on drafts of this paper or detailed discussion of the ideas in it I am grateful to Andrew Williams, Fabienne Peter, Matthew Clayton, Luara Ferracioli, Chris Mills, Stephanie Collins, Nici Mulkeen, Anca Gheaus, Adam Swift, Tim Fowler, Zofia Stemplowska, Eamonn Callan, Julie Rose, Anne Newman, Debra Satz, Sarah Hannan, Jon Quong, Colin Macleod, Brian McElwee, Rob Reich, Hillel Steiner, Rebecca Reilly-Cooper, Dean Redfearn, Serena Olsaretti, Kristi Olsen and Audrey Cahill. I am also grateful to several audiences where this paper was presented including the 2011 MANCEPT workshop on ‘Liberalism and the Family’; the Centre for Ethics Law and Public Affairs, University of Warwick; the 2012 Association of Legal and Social Philosophy Conference, University of Warwick; the Ideals and Reality in Social Ethics Conference 2012, University of Wales, Newport; the Post-doc Workshop at the Centre for Ethics in Society, Stanford University. In addition, I am grateful to anonymous reviewers for their detailed and helpful feedback.

References

References

Arneson, Richard. 2000. “Democracy is Not Intrinsically Just.” In Justice and Democracy: Essays for Brian Barry, edited by Dowding, K., Goodin, R., and Pateman, C., 40–58. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Arneson, Richard, and Shapiro, Ian. 1996. “Democratic Autonomy and Religious Liberty: A Critique of Wisconsin V. Yoder.” In NOMOS XXXVIII: Political Order, edited by Hardin, Russell and Shapiro, Ian, 365–411. New York: New York University Press.Google Scholar
Brennan, Samantha. 2014. “The Goods of Childhood and Children's Rights.” In Family Making: contemporary ethical challenges, edited by Baylis, Françoise and McLeod, Carolyn, 29–45. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brighouse, Harry. 1998. “Civic Education and Liberal Legitimacy.” Ethics 108(4): 719–745. 10.1086/233849CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brighouse, Harry. 2002. “What Rights (If Any) Do Children Have.” In The Moral and Political Status of Children, edited by Archard, David and Macleod, Colin, 31–52. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/0199242682.001.0001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brighouse, Harry, and Swift, Adam. 2006. “Parents’ Rights and the Value of the Family.” Ethics 117(1): 80–108. 10.1086/508034CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brighouse, Harry, and Swift, Adam. 2009. “Legitimate Parental Partiality.” Philosophy & Public Affairs 37(1): 43–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brighouse, Harry, and Swift, Adam. 2014. Family Values. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 10.1515/9781400852543Google Scholar
Callan, Eamonn. 2002. “Autonomy, Child-rearing, and Good Lives.” In The Moral and Political Status of Children: New Essays, edited by Archard, D. and Macleod, C., 118–141. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Casal, Paula, and Williams, Andrew. 2004. “Equality of Resources and Procreative Justice.” In Dworkin and His Critics, edited by Burley, Justine, 150–169. Oxford: Blackwell.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clayton, Matthew. 2006. Justice and Legitimacy in Upbringing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clayton, Matthew. 2012. “Debate: The Case against the Comprehensive Enrolment of Children.” Journal of Political Philosophy 20(3): 353–364. 10.1111/jopp.2012.20.issue-3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, Howard. 1980. Equal Rights for Children. Totowa, NJ: Littlefield, Adams.Google Scholar
Cowden, Mhairi. 2012. “What’s Love Got to Do with It? Why a Child Does Not Have a Right to Be Loved.” Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy 15(3): 325–345. 10.1080/13698230.2011.572426Google Scholar
De Wispelaere, Jurgen, and Weinstock, Daniel. 2012. “Licensing Parents to Protect Our Children?” Ethics and Social Welfare 6(2): 195–205. 10.1080/17496535.2012.682507CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwyer, James. 2011. The Relationship Rights of Children. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fowler, Timothy. 2014a. “Perfectionism for Children, Anti-Perfectionism for Adults.” Canadian Journal of Philosophy 44(3–4): 305–323. 10.1080/00455091.2014.925620Google Scholar
Fowler, Timothy. 2014b. “The Status of Child Citizens.” Politics, Philosophy & Economics 13(1): 93–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
George, Robert. 1987. “Who Should Bear the Costs of Children.” Public Affairs Quarterly 1(1): 1–42.Google Scholar
Gheaus, Anca. 2012. “The Right to Keep One’s Biological Baby.” Journal of Political Philosophy 20(4): 432–455. 10.1111/jopp.2012.20.issue-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gheaus, Anca. 2015. “The ‘Intrinsic Goods of Childhood’ and the Just Society.” In The Nature of Children’s Well-being, edited by Bagattini, Alexander and Macleod, Colin, 35–52. Dordrecht: Springer.Google Scholar
Hannan, Sarah. 2010. “Balancing Parental Authority and Children’s Rights: A Role-based Solution.” DPhil Thesis, University of Oxford.Google Scholar
Holt, John. 1974. Escape from Childhood: The Needs and Rights of Children. Boston, MA: E P. Dutton.Google Scholar
Lazenby, Hugh. 2010. “One Kiss Too Many? Giving, Luck Egalitarianism and Other-Affecting Choice.” Journal of Political Philosophy 18(3): 271–286.Google Scholar
Liao, Matthew. 2006. “The Right of Children to Be Loved.” Journal of Political Philosophy 14(4): 420–440. 10.1111/jopp.2006.14.issue-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macleod, Colin. 1997. “Conceptions of Parental Autonomy.” Politics & Society 25(1): 117–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macleod, Colin. 2010. “Primary Goods, Capabilities, and Children.” In Measuring Justice: Primary Goods and Capabilities, edited by Brighouse, Harry and Robeyns, Ingrid, 174–192. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511810916CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, Andrew. 2011. “Putting Story-Reading to Bed: A Reply to Segall.” Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy 14(1): 81–88. 10.1080/13698230.2010.520503CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olsaretti, Serena. 2013. “Children as Public Goods?” Philosophy & Public Affairs 41(3): 226–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schoeman, Ferdinand. 1980. “Rights of Children, Rights of Parents, and the Moral Basis of the Family.” Ethics 91(1): 6–19. 10.1086/292199CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Segall, Shlomi. 2011. “If You’re a Luck-egalitarian, How Come You Read Bedtime Stories to Your Children?” Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy 14(1): 23–40. 10.1080/13698230.2010.518388CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swift, Adam. 2003. How Not to Be a Hypocrite: School Choice for the Morally Perplexed Parent. London: Routledge.Google ScholarPubMed
Tomlin, Patrick. 2015. “Should Kids Pay Their Own Way?” Political Studies 63(3): 663–678. 10.1111/1467-9248.12111CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomlin, Patrick. forthcoming. “Saplings or Caterpillars?” Journal of Applied Philosophy.Google Scholar
Vallentyne, Peter. 2003. “The Rights and Duties of Childrearing.” William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal 11(3): 991–1009.Google Scholar

Internet Sources

Section 58 of the Children Act 2004.http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contentsGoogle Scholar
Smoking in Cars Set to Become Illegal. 2015. http://www.gov.uk/government/news/smoking-in-cars-is-now-illegalGoogle Scholar