PHIL 2050 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Paternalism, Political Philosophy
Document Summary
Mill"s utilitarian argument against paternalism (1) individuals have the best knowledge of their own interests and well being (2) individuals are the ones most interested in their own well being (3) interferences which overrule the judgments of individuals about their own good are likely to be wrong (lead to unhappiness: the odds are always that the value of interference will be outweighed by the value of leaving individuals alone in their person conduct. He therefore defeats, in his own case, the very purpose which is the justification of allowing him to dispose of himself. " (c277: children lack some of the emotional and cognitive capacities required in order to make fully rational decisions. " (c278) (2) children (3) backward states of society, we may leave out of consideration those backwards states of society in which the race itself may be considered as in its nonage. " (c258)
