Family Obligation

Jane English said:

Once you’re grown, you don’t own your parents anything.

Several view points:

• The unconditional view: simply by virtue of being your parent, that person is entitled certain things from you.
• The conditional view: you owe your parents based on what they give you.
• The friendship view: you don’t actually owe your parents anything.

The reasoning is: none of us chose to be born. You can’t have an obligation if you didn’t do something to incur that obligation.

Baby does not have the rational capacity to be held to a moral contract.

Helping parents is out of love, like friendship.

Huge LaFollette think that people should be licensed to be parents.

Claudia Mills pointed out the family members are the only people in your life that are permanent and unchosen.

Ethics of care says that the morality goes wrong when we emphasize impartiality because it’s our most caring relationship that makes our lives worthwhile.