Tough choices : structured paternalism and the landscape of choice / Sigal R. Ben-Porath.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ben-Porath, Sigal R., 1967-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democracy--Philosophy.

Democracy.

Paternalism--Political aspects.

Paternalism.

Civil rights.

Social values.

Politics and culture.

Freedom of expression.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (271 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

To what extent should government be permitted to intervene in personal choices? In grappling with this question, liberal theory seeks to balance individual liberty with the advancement of collective goals such as equality. Too often, however, society's obligation to provide meaningful opportunities is overshadowed by its commitment to personal freedom. Tough Choices charts a middle course between freedom-oriented anti-interventionism and equality-oriented social welfare, presenting a way to structure choices that equalize opportunities while protecting the freedom of individuals to choose among them. Drawing on insights from behavioral economics, psychology, and educational theory, Sigal Ben-Porath makes the case for structured paternalism, which is based on the understanding that state intervention is often inevitable, and that therefore theorists and policymakers must focus on the extent to which it can productively be applied, as well as on the forms it should take in different social domains. Ben-Porath explores how structured paternalism can play a role in providing equal opportunities for individual choice in an array of personal and social contexts, including the intimate lives of adults, parent-child relationships, school choice, and intercultural relations. Tough Choices demonstrates how structured paternalism can inform more egalitarian social policies, ones that acknowledge personal, social, and cultural differences as well as the challenges all individuals may face when they make a choice.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

1. To Choose or Not to Choose?

2. Why Paternalism Is Good for You

3. The Regulation of Intimacy

4. Paternalism toward Children

5. Exit with Caution: On Culture and Choice

6. School Choice as a Bounded Ideal

Conclusion. Structured Paternalism and the Landscape of Choice

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612936524

9781282936522

1282936522

9781400836864

1400836867

OCLC:

697175327