Abstract
Parental obligations are the obligations acquired by parents to their young children. It is believed that parents have special obligations to their children. However, what are the contents of such obligations? Are parental obligations limited to meeting children’s basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter? Do parents have an obligation to best promote children’s welfare? What are the requirements of the children’s right to an open future? And is it possible for parents to meet such requirements? In this article, I try to address these issues by appealing to a philosophical view of parental obligation, according to which parental obligations require parents to ensure their children have a reasonable expectation of a decent life. Thus, parents are obligated to protect their children from abuse and neglect, help their children to become autonomous agents and provide their children with an adequate moral education. In addition, although the children’s right to an open future imposes given obligations on parents, it does not indicate that parents are obligated to expose children to as many activities and much experience as possible. Such an understanding of the children’s right to an open future is incorrect.
Highlights
Parental obligations are the obligations acquired by parents to their young children
What are the contents of such obligations? Are parental obligations limited to meeting children’s basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter? Do parents have an obligation to best promote children’s welfare? What are the requirements of the children’s right to an open future? And is it possible for parents to meet such requirements? In this article, I try to address these issues by appealing to a philosophical view of parental obligation, according to which parental obligations require parents to ensure their children have a reasonable expectation of a decent life
Parental obligations are to ensure children have a reasonable expectation of a decent life which in turn means that some important rights must be protected and respected
Summary
Parental obligations or the obligations of parents indicate the obligations possessed by parents to their young children. The term “wrongful life” is used by philosophers (Archard, 2004; Steinbock, 2009) who argue that it would be morally wrong for parents to deliberately bring children who cannot have a reasonable expectation of a minimally decent life into existence. A child’s expectation of a decent life cannot be ensured until some important rights are enjoyed These rights might include the right to be protected from abuse and neglect, the right to health care, the right to education, and the right to “a standard of living adequate for physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development (https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/).”. Parental obligations are to ensure children have a reasonable expectation of a decent life which in turn means that some important rights must be protected and respected. What parents should do for their children are as follows: protect their children from abuse and neglect, cultivate their children to become autonomous agents, and provide their children with basic moral education
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