Legal Paternalism is the theory that the state or an individual can interfere with another person, against that person's will, using the justification that the person will be protected from harm or will be better off as a result of the...
moreLegal Paternalism is the theory that the state or an individual can interfere with another person, against that person's will, using the justification that the person will be protected from harm or will be better off as a result of the interference.The theory draws its basis from the concept of the patriarch or father; the father acts in the best interests of the child, whether the child agrees or not, because he know what is right for the child. Therefore, according to legal paternalists, the State should ban drugs because people might take them, even though the only possibility of harm is to the users themselves. Similarly, legal paternalists believe that the State should enforce programs that compel the subjects of the State to better themselves financially, such as social security or other welfare projects.
