USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications
Licensing parents.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1980
ISSN
0048-3915
Abstract
In this essay I shall argue that the state should require all parents to be licensed. My main goal is to demonstrate that the licensing of parents is theoretically desirable, though I shall also argue that a workable and just licensing program actually could be established. My strategy is simple. After developing the basic rationale for the licensing of parents, I shall consider several objections to the proposal and argue that these objections fail to undermine it. I shall then isolate some striking similarities between this licensing program and our present policies on the adoption of children. If we retain these adoption policies-as we surely should-then, I argue, a general licensing program should also be established. Finally, I shall briefly suggest that the reason many people object to licensing is that they think parents, particularly biological parents, own or have natural sovereignty over their children.
Language
en_US
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
Recommended Citation
LaFollette, H. (1980). Licensing parents. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 9(2), 182-197.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
This article has been reprinted in the following publications: 2013: Morality and Moral Controversies (9th Ed). S. Scalet and J. Arthur (eds.). Prentice-Hall; 2011: The Ethical Life: Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems (2nd Ed.). R. Shafer-Landau. Oxford University Press; 2009: What's Wrong: Applied Ethicists and Their Critics (2nd ed) D. Boonin and G. Oddie (Eds). Oxford University Press; 2008: Morality and Moral Controversies (8th ed). J. Arthur and S. Scalet (Eds.). Prentice-Hall; 2009: The Ethical Life: Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems. R. Shafer-Landau. Oxford University Press; 2005: What's Wrong: Applied Ethicists and Their Critics. D. Boonin and G. Oddie (Eds). Oxford University Press; 2005: Morality and Moral Controversies (7th ed). J. Arthur (Ed.). Prentice-Hall; 2005: Environmental Ethics (4th ed). L. Pojman (Ed.). Wadsworth; 2004: Applied Ethics: Reflective Moral Reasoning. S. Dimock and C. Tucker. Thomson Nelson; 2004: Critically Thinking about Medical Ethics. R. Card (Ed.). Prentice-Hall; 2004: Should Parents Be Licensed? P. Tittle (Ed.). Prometheus Books; 2003: The Moral Life (2nd). L. Pojman (Ed.). Oxford University Press; 2002: Morality and Moral Controversies (6th ed). J. Arthur (Ed.). Prentice-Hall; 2001: Environmental Ethics (3rd ed). L. Pojman (Ed.). Wadsworth; 2000: Power Web Philosophy. G. Pence (Ed.). McGraw-Hill; 1999: Family, State, and Law. M. Freeman (Ed.). Ashgate Publishing; 1999: Cases and Materials on Family Law (4th ed). J. Areen (Ed.). Foundation; 1999: Family Values. L. Houlgate (Ed.). Wadsworth; 1999: The Moral Life. L. Pojman (Ed.). Oxford University Press; 1999: Morality & Moral Controversies (5th ed). J. Arthur (Ed.). Prentice-Hall; 1998: The Moral Life (2nd ed). C. Brown and S. Luper (Eds). Harcourt, Brace; 1998: Environmental Ethics (2nd ed). L. Pojman (Ed.). Wadsworth; 1996: Morality & Moral Controversies (4th ed). J. Arthur (Ed.). Prentice-Hall; 1994: Environmental Ethics. L. Pojman (Ed.). Wadsworth; 1993: Morality & Moral Controversies (3rd ed). J. Arthur (Ed.). Prentice-Hall; 1992: Cases and Materials on Family Law (3rd ed). J. Areen (Ed.). Foundation; 1992: The Moral Life. C. Brown and S. Luper-Foy (Eds). Harcourt, Brace; 1989: Moral Choices. J. Grcic (Ed.). West Publishing; 1986: Asking the Right Questions (2nd ed). M.N. Browne and S. Keeley. Prentice-Hall; 1986: Morality & Moral Controversies (2nd ed). J. Arthur (Ed.). Prentice-Hall; 1985: Occasions for Philosophy (2nd ed). J. Edwards (Ed.). Prentice-Hall; 1985: Cases and Materials on Family Law (2nd ed). J. Areen (Ed.). Foundation. Citation only. Full-text article is available through licensed access provided by the publisher. Published in Philosophy & Public Affairs, 9(2), 182-197. Members of the USF System may access the full-text of the article through the authenticated link provided.