Tough Choices

Structured Paternalism and the Landscape of Choice

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Political, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory
Cover of the book Tough Choices by Sigal R. Ben-Porath, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sigal R. Ben-Porath ISBN: 9781400836864
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: July 1, 2010
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Sigal R. Ben-Porath
ISBN: 9781400836864
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: July 1, 2010
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book The Quotable Darwin by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book Why Size Matters by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book Being German, Becoming Muslim by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book The Cash Ceiling by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book American Default by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book How to Run a Country by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book Caterpillars of Eastern North America by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book Men of Bronze by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book America in the World by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book Thinking about Leadership by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book Contentious Curricula by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book How Mathematicians Think by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Cover of the book C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity by Sigal R. Ben-Porath
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy