Critical Reflection and the Limits of Parental Authority

ABSTRACT In modern pluralist societies, the meaning and value of individual autonomy is highly contested. Typically, some religious groups deny ideal leading a self‐directed life regard strict obedience to God's commands as primary goal child education. This article pursues question whether liberal state may legitimately interfere with parental authority in order protect development child's inner capacity for autonomy. It argued that ability critically re‐evaluate one's plan valuable offspring secular pious parents alike. Therefore, restrictions on rights can be justified within theoretical framework neutral between autonomous heteronomous conceptions good. However, need not prepared call their most important tenets into question; they foster children's critical reflection other ways. Since vast majority families meet this requirement, interventions are rarely warranted.