Children, Partiality, and Equality

It is a precept of commonsense morality that parents have permissions to be partial toward their own children in various ways: they are permitted act variety ways favor the interests (only) children. But how such reconciled with more general principles justice? In this article, I discuss question as it arises for one kind liberal egalitarian theory justice. Given robust commitment an ideal equality, theories face prima facie difficulties accommodating parental partiality. After sketching contours apparent conflict between equality and partiality (§2), survey some which writers attempted reconcile partiality, criticize these reconciliation proposals, different subordinate concern (§3). then suggest direction reconciliation, (conversely) subordinates (§4). This alternative strategy, argue, deserves taken seriously by egalitarians; whether most plausible way depends on one’s view about moral weight people’s interest parenting.