Means Paternalism and the Problem of Indeterminacy

Abstract Many contemporary defenders of paternalist interventions favor a version paternalism focused on how people often choose the wrong means given their own ends. This idea is typically justified by empirical results in psychology and behavioral economics. To extent that can then target promotion goals be said to our own, such are prima facie less problematic. One this argument starts from it meaningful ascribe us preferences we would have if were fully rational, informed control over actions. It argued here, however, very body paternalists rely also undermines as robust enough notion. A more modest approach interventions, which policies understood enmeshed with welfare-state promoting certain primary goods, proposed instead.