In Licensing Parents, Michael McFall argues that political structures, economics, education, racism, and sexism are secondary in importance to the inequality caused by families, and that the family plays the primary role in a child's acquisition ofa sense of justice. He demonstrates that examination of the family is necessary in political philosophy and that informal structures (families) and considerations (character formation) must be taken seriously. McFall advocates a threshold that should be accepted by all political philosophers: children should not be severely abused or neglected because child maltreatment often causes deep and irreparable individual and societal harm. The implications of this threshold are revolutionary, but this is not recognized fully because no philosophical book has systematically considered the ethical or political ramifications of child maltreatment. By exposing a tension between the rights of children and adults, McFall reveals pervasive ageism; parental rights usually trump children's rights, and this is often justified because children are not fully autonomous. Yet parental rights should not always trump children's rights. Ethics and political philosophy are not only about rights, but also about duties—especiallywhen considering potential parents who are unable or unwilling to provide minimally decent nurturance. While contemporary political philosophy focuses on adult rights, McFall examines systems whereby the interests and rights of children and parents are b

Author: McFall, Michael
Publisher: Lexington Books
Illustration: N
Language: ENG
Title: Licensing Parents: Family, State, and Child Maltreatment
Pages: 00248 (Encrypted PDF)
On Sale: 2009-01-16
SKU-13/ISBN: 9780739129135
Lib Category: Child abuse - United States - Prevention
Lib Category: Child welfare - United States
Category: Family & Relationships : Family Relationships