ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the assumption that parental authority is related to individual liberty. First, it demonstrates that the assumption that parental authority is a liberty right is pervasive. Then, arguments are presented to show why this is a problematic idea that has implications that are unacceptable in a liberal society. The idea that parental authority is a liberty right is untenable and must be rejected in order to maintain a commitment to liberty.
The arguments here presented demonstrate that parental authority is not a matter of individual freedom and is not based on individual liberty rights. Rather, parental authority fits better with parenting as a social role that forms part of the fabric of society, and that aims at goods important to children and to society. In taking up these tasks, the chapter challenges the idea that parenting is under the purview of individual liberty, and recasts it as a social activity with significant implications for the free society.
