Back to Search
Start Over
On the expressive theory of paternalism.
- Source :
-
Jurisprudence . Sep2024, Vol. 15 Issue 3, p307-324. 18p. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- The expressive theory of paternalism holds that an action is paternalistic when and because it expresses the insulting idea that the actor knows better than the person acted upon. I argue that the expressive theory has implausible implications. First, it entails that a government's interventions in people's lives count as paternalistic only if their motivations are sufficiently consistent and well-publicised that the circumstances allow its policies to express the relevant insult. In other words, secret paternalism is impossible. Second, the theory implies that governments can remove any objection to a policy qua paternalistic by means of a manipulative exercise in public relations. Nor, I argue, does the expressive theory offer any explanatory advantage over autonomy-based theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20403313
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Jurisprudence
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 179686170
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/20403313.2023.2287329