It is argued that the strong claim biological parents have to raise their children isn't a property right but an instance of our general right to continue whatever we have begun. Implications are drawn for a wide range of cases in which there is a dispute over who should serve as parents to a child. Arguments are offered against saying that our only proper concern in such cases is the best interest of the child. A way is offered of also identifying what claims the various adults have in the matter and deciding how those are properly balanced with the child's own claims. The book also contends ... More

It is argued that the strong claim biological parents have to raise their children isn't a property right but an instance of our general right to continue whatever we have begun. Implications are drawn for a wide range of cases in which there is a dispute over who should serve as parents to a child. Arguments are offered against saying that our only proper concern in such cases is the best interest of the child. A way is offered of also identifying what claims the various adults have in the matter and deciding how those are properly balanced with the child's own claims. The book also contends that children have a claim of their own to have their autonomy respected. Conclusions are drawn about paternalism toward one's children, about reacting differently to bad behavior when the wrongdoer is “only a child,” and about the way in which children should participate in their raising. A final set of chapters concern parents and their grown children. One conclusion is that parents do not have an obligation to love their grown children come what may. Another is that the filial obligations grown children have are best understood not as debts of gratitude but as obligations to give your parents a place in your affections that is roughly equivalent to the one they gave you while you were under their care. The closing chapter offers an alternative to John Hardwig's view about an obligation to die rather than cost your loved ones too dearly.