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Selected Works of Samantha Brennan
Contribution to Book
Children's Choices or Children's Interests: Which Do their Rights Protect?
The Moral and Political Status of Children: New Essays (2002)
  • Samantha Brennan, University of Western Ontario
Link
Abstract

DOI:10.1093/0199242682.003.0004 The often‐posed dichotomy between the interest and choice theory of rights can obfuscate a proper understanding of children's rights. We need a gradualist model in which the grounds for attributing rights to a being change in response to the development of autonomy. Rights for children initially function to protect their interests but, as they develop into full‐fledged autonomous choosers, rights function to ensure that their choices, even those that do not serve their welfare, are respected. Keywords: autonomy, choice theory, development, interest theory, rights, welfare

Keywords
  • children's rights
Disciplines
Publication Date
2002
Editor
Colin Macleod and David Archard
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publisher Statement
http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/0199242682.003.0004 Published as a book chapter in: The Moral and Political Status of Children: New Essays. Colin Macleod and David Archard. (Eds.).
The book is not available online here. If you are affiliated with The University of Western Ontario, please use the Shared Library Catalogue's Advanced Search to check whether the book is available in Western Libraries.
If you are not affiliated with The University of Western Ontario, search WorldCat to find out where you can get access to the book.
Citation Information
Samantha Brennan. "Children's Choices or Children's Interests: Which Do their Rights Protect?" The Moral and Political Status of Children: New Essays (2002)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/samanthabrennan/18/