Moral Parenthood

Abstract

Most people believe that parents have moral rights and responsibilities regarding their children. These rights and responsibilities undergird the nuclear family and are essential to the flourishing of its members. However, their basis and contents are hotly contested. Do a child’s genetic parents have a right to parent her? Many people’s gut responses affirm the importance of genetic ties, but the moral justification for tying parental rights to genetics is unclear. Parents are permitted to make far-reaching decisions about their children’s medical care, education, religious practice, and discipline. When can parental rights be limited by the interests of the child or of society? Matters are no more settled regarding parental responsibilities. A man who conceives a child through voluntary sexual intercourse is commonly thought to acquire parental responsibilities, even if he took every precaution against conception. Yet sperm donors are widely thought to have no responsibilities toward their progeny. What underlies these disparate judgments? Parents are expected to do a lot for their children. But there are surely limits. Sometimes parents must balance the needs of multiple family members or just want time for themselves. What is the extent of parental responsibilities? This book provides a philosophical account of the foundations of moral parenthood. It explains how parental rights and responsibilities are acquired, what those rights and responsibilities consist in, and how parents should make decisions for their children. In doing so, it provides a set of frameworks to help solve pressing ethical dilemmas relating to parents and children.