ABSTRACT
Having demonstrated in prior chapters that the assumption of parental authority as a liberty right is problematic, this chapter goes further. It presents four lines of argument that demonstrate why parenting must be regulated and supported by society. There are good reasons to think of parenting as something that society has an interest in, and as a social role with attached obligations. Society should actively engage with the parental role, both to support parents to adequately respond to children’s moral claims where such support is needed and to intervene where children’s moral claims require intervention. The four lines of argument are as follows: (1) parents are deciding for another and not only for themselves; (2) the good of society is served by supporting and regulating parenting; (3) the good of the child depends on societal involvement; and (4) guidance and support to the parental role.
