Description
Book SynopsisEven though individual parents face different issues, I believe most parents want their children to be good people who are happy in their adult lives. As such a central motivating question of this book is how can parents raise a child to be a moral and flourishing person. At first glance, we might think this question is better left to psychologists rather than philosophers. I propose that Aristotle's ethical theory (known as virtue theory) has much to say on this issue. Aristotle asks how do we become a moral person and how does that relate to leading a good life. In other words, his motivating questions are very similar to the goals parents have for their children. In the first part of this book, I consider what the basic components of Aristotle's theory can tell us about the project of parenting. In the second part, I shift my focus to consider some issues that present potential moral dilemmas for parents and whether there are specific parental virtues we may want to use to gu
Table of ContentsIntroduction: What can virtue theory tell us about parenting? Part I: The Parental Role in Upbringing Chapter 1: Instilling Virtue Chapter 2: Parental Wisdom Chapter 3: Flourishing Part II: Parental Virtues Chapter 4: On the Immorality of Lying to Children about Their Origins Chapter 5: Shaping Bodies, Shaping Lives: Parental Authority and the Child’s Future Chapter 6: Deciding to Become a Parent Bibliography About the Author
