ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with unfolding the nature of that responsibility in the context of the reciprocal obligations of parents and offspring, and the responsibility of the state to support ethical parenting. It describes the ethical obligations of parents, with special attention to the rights of children, the moral justification of parental authority, and the contrasting views of protectionist, liberationist, and developmentalist approaches to understanding children’s best interests. The chapter also deals with a profile of parents’ developmental responsibilities to children, especially in relation to the growth of character and competence. It focuses on the relations among parents, children, and the state. The chapter describes the state’s interest in the well-being of children and the conditions justifying the state’s intervention into family life to promote children’s well-being. It seeks to profile what the state does well, and poorly, in its efforts to assist its youngest citizens. The chapter considers the responsibilities of developmental scientists for fostering ethical parenting.
