Paternalism: The Best Form Of Patralism And Paternalism

“Father knows best” that’s what is always told to a child at a young age. A father will tell a child “Don’t touch that fire, it is dangerous”, and like any child would do they will go touch it anyway. Leaving a father to say “I told you, I knew what was best for you.” This is a prime example of paternalism; a way to intervene with an individual’s ability to make choices of their own because someone else knows better. This extended essay will be discussing the well known topic of paternalism and the different forms of it. Paternalism is a broad yet informative topic to discuss, and in this paper paternalism will be defined and understood through examples. Paternalism is the practice of treating people in a fatherly manner, especially by providing for their needs without giving them rights or responsibilities. Paternalism is related to a fatherly manner because like a father figure, paternalism is a stern hand being put on a child to keep them in line for their own good like the government does with our society. One of the greatest forms of paternalism is the government, because the government takes it upon themselves to have the controlling choice in everything. Political libertarianism and soft paternalism is the two forms of paternalism that will be compared in this essay, including a brief induction to paternalistic laws. Presenting a stand point on whether to agree or disagree with paternalism is a lot easier said than to explain, in this paper the opinion that which I stand upon will conclude this paper.

Paternalism is the interference of one’s free will to make decisions or do things for themselves because someone feels interfering is in the best interest of another. Paternalism is defined according to the Stanford Encyclo...

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...st judge of their own interests, pointing out that some people lack good judgment when it comes to their best interest. For example, a child that has been abused or displays a sense of low-self-esteem may lack a sense good judgment and need assistance. Guided assistance can range in many ways because every case of choice is sensitive. Being that I plan to be a future educator I put a paternalistic reasoning behind this example because, knowing there could be several cases in the school that are of this nature. It would be my duty to address the situation as delicately as possible, leading students to speak with the proper authority or services to help them. Many victims of cases like these are more than likely to be overly sensitive when it comes to correct judgments. Helping someone in this case is justifiable paternalism. What would make it unjustifiable is going