Abstract
No one would dispute that children should not be treated cruelly, but disagreement persists about the proper limits of parental punishment - whether, for instance, a child may be chastised by a slap. Few would dispute that children should have some say in what happens to them, but the idea that children should have the very same rights of choice as adults is defended as self-evident by some whilst dismissed as evidently mistaken by others. Our understanding of the moral status of the child is crucially influenced by our understanding of the nature and character of childhood. This is not simply a matter of setting boundaries of age, though this is important.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Oxford Handbook of Practical Ethics |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780191577291 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780199284238 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Sep 2005 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Age boundaries
- Children
- Moral status
- Nature of childhood
- Parental punishment
- Rights of choice
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities(all)
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Cite this
Archard, D. (2005). Children. In The Oxford Handbook of Practical Ethics Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199284238.003.0005