ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author aims to distinguish three main types of wrongful argument, for which he has coined the terms 'paternalism', 'maternalism' and 'censorism', and discuss their most important features and alleged justifications. Once the three forms of wrongful caring control have been distinguished, it becomes immediately clear that paternalism in the strict sense is only the tip of the iceberg. When patients are faced with straightforward threats of violence, they can at least recognize the injustice and protest against the treatment, but it is considerably more difficult to defend oneself against institutionalized lies and half-truths. More attention, therefore, should be given to the neglected forms of wrongful medical authoritarianism that the author has labelled maternalism and censorism. Lack of knowledge is one of the legitimate grounds for restricting people's self-regarding behaviour, and one can claim that the lack of advanced medical knowledge prevailing among the majority of lay persons justifies authoritarian attitudes and regulations.
