Value · Right or liberty

Parental Autonomy

A protected freedom or entitlement of a person or group.

Definition

Parents' authority to make decisions about raising their children without outside interference.

Philosophical and social significance

Family autonomy protects pluralism in how children are raised and reflects parents' knowledge of and responsibility for their children. It is limited where parental decisions seriously harm the child.

Typical applications

Children's activities and careers
Education choices
Family privacy

Concrete examples

Deciding whether to build a child's influencer career (Motion 3).
Choosing virtual or traditional schooling (Motion 8).

Typical conflicts with other values

Child Welfare The child's own interests, especially where parents profit.
Privacy The child's future control over information about them.
Child Welfare in Resolved: Parents of an average child should help that child become a social-media influencer from a young age.

Example motions

Resolved: Parents of an average child should help that child become a social-media influencer from a young age.Child Welfare vs. Parental Autonomy