Parental Authority Over Education and the Right to Invite

• In Event: Roundtable Session 73
  In Roundtable Session: Perspectives on Politics: Oakeshott, Capabilities, Parental Rights

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and justification of parental rights to make educational decisions. I examine the current justifications for parents' rights and show that, while they highlight morally relevant features of parenting, they do not provide a compelling basis for authority over education. I propose an alternative line of argument that bases parental rights on the sacrificial labor that parenting demands. This justification does not lead to a notion of complete parental authority over education; instead, it leads to what I will call the “right to invite.”

Author

• Bryan R. Warnick, Ohio State University