ABSTRACT
Paternalism is inherently linked to patriarchy, the subordination of women and children to men, both within the family and within society. Paternalism justified and sustained patriarchal power by tempering its harshest features with protection and kindness. While the word "paternalism" first came into use in the 1880s, its ideas originated in the Middle Ages. If social paternalism is founded on the notion of mutual dependency, servants getting the upper hand might just bring down the system. According to the philosophy of social paternalism, every individual is obligated to serve the social order, but individuals serve in different and pre-ordained ways, depending upon their social position. Paternalism is inherently linked to patriarchy, the subordination of women and children to men, both within the family and within society. Paternalism justified and sustained patriarchal power by tempering its harshest features (the domination of the weak by the strong) with protection and kindness.
