The Philosophical Parent

Asking the Hard Questions About Having and Raising Children

Jean Kazez

Tracing the life of a child, this is a "what to expect" book for the very reflective parent
Carefully argued, drawing the reader into controversies at the cutting edge of bioethics, dealing with many hard puzzles in a balanced, fair way
Offers novel, original, controversial, and surprising explorations and answers

The Philosophical Parent

Asking the Hard Questions About Having and Raising Children

Jean Kazez

Description

Having and raising a child forces parents to confront questions that can consume even the most dedicated of philosophers. For those for whom it is a choice whether or not to have children, even the question of whether it is right to have a child is perplexing and difficult. And, if you do have a child, then what do you do? What are your obligations as a parent? Should you remain a neutral steward of your child's independent life, or intervene more strongly? How can you interact with your child to best ensure that that child leads a good life, while not going too far to protect her? On the more practical level, what is the ethical parent to do when it comes to issues like circumcision, vaccination, and teaching children about gender?

These are a few of the eighteen questions that Jean Kazez considers in The Philosophical Parent. Drawing on personal experience and philosophical insight, Kazez provides a useful and illuminating companion to parenthood by tracing the arc of a child's development, and addressing all the puzzles that arise along the way. Though arguing ardently for a novel view of the bond between child and parent, Kazez adeptly guides her readers to form their own perspectives as well-their own way of becoming philosophical parents.

The Philosophical Parent

Asking the Hard Questions About Having and Raising Children

Jean Kazez

Introduction
1. Children Come from Us What's so special about having kids?
2. Life is Good Are babies lucky to be born or just the opposite?
3. Quantity Control Must we care about population statistics?
4. Quality Control Should we mess with nature?
5. In the Beginning What's going on in there?
6. A Child is Born Is labor pain simply awful?
7. Whose Child is This? Why do biological parents have prerogatives?
8. Nobody's Child Does biology really matter?
9. Parenthood's End What's a parent for?
10. First Decisions To cut or not to cut?
11. Still Life with Child Who's going to care for the baby?
12. Boys and Girls Is it OK to prefer a girl/boy? Should parents reinforce gender?
13. The One and the Many When must I contribute to group efforts?
14. Lies, Lies, Lies Should we ever lie to children…or for them?
15. Passing on Religion Should we raise children in our own image?
16. Letting Go What should we do for our grown children?
17. Going Home What should our grown children do for us?
18. Parenthood and Meaning Does parenthood make us better off?
Acknowledgements
Annotated Bibliography

The Philosophical Parent

Asking the Hard Questions About Having and Raising Children

Jean Kazez

Author Information

Jean Kazez, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Southern Methodist University

Jean Kazez teaches philosophy at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She is the author of The Weight of Things: Philosophy and the Good Life and Animalkind: What We Owe to Animals (both Wiley-Blackwell). A columnist, editor, and writer for The Philosophers' Magazine, she has also written articles and reviews for Philosophy Now and Free Inquiry.

The Philosophical Parent

Asking the Hard Questions About Having and Raising Children

Jean Kazez

Reviews and Awards

"It is written with beautiful clarity and precision and an enviable command of quite complex material. I know of no other summary of the non-identity problem that is so perspicuous and - importantly - sufficient to persuade those sceptical of the other-worldly character of some modern philosophy that this problem matters. This is a text free of intrusive footnotes and elaborate reconstructions of theories and arguments. The annotated bibliography at the back provides evidence enough of the considerable background reading that informs Kazez's writing. And the writing is charmingly engaging - who can resist a phrase such as 'cosmic orphanage' as an allusive description of that set of possible persons yet to be brought into existence and reared? Kazez is evidently a thoughtful, conscientious parent who has worried - but not obsessively - about what parenthood requires of her, and her broadly liberal sympathies are on display throughout." - Journal of Applied Philosophy

"This wonderfully thoughtful book amply demonstrates that philosophy has a great deal to teach about what it means to parent and how to do that well and that parents often need to be philosophers themselves. ... Kazez gently and with exceptional erudition takes readers by the hand and examines a series of often extraordinary questions associated with one of the most routine human activities - having and raising children. ... Essential." - R. R. Cornelius, CHOICE

"Philosophy professor [Jean] Kazez uses a mix of philosophical proofs and science to explore a mix of theoretical and practical parenting questions ... Soon-to-be-parents will find thinking through her arguments a good way to engage their minds beyond the immediate practicalities of child-rearing" - Publishers Weekly

"In The Philosophical Parent, Jean Kazez tackles many of the philosophical puzzles surrounding parenthood, including the question of whether we should bring further children into this world, what our rights and duties are as parents and why we might want to become parents in the first place. Engagingly and accessibly written, parents especially but also non-parents pondering whether or not to have children and people with a general interest in philosophical questions will find new insights in every chapter of this terrific and important contribution to the philosophy of parenting." - Berit Brogaard, Professor of Philosophy, University of Miami

"[The Philosophical Parent] is a diverse, rich, funny, tragic, as well as analytical adventure in one of life's most challenging journeys. Kazez tackles ancient as well as contemporary questions by resting much on her use of the child as second self." - Metapsychology Reviews Online

The Philosophical Parent

Asking the Hard Questions About Having and Raising Children

Jean Kazez

From Our Blog

Are you a philosophical parent? [quiz]

Posted on August 19, 2017

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I Don't Recommend Parenthood

Recently a friend of mine expressed an aversion to the screaming kids who were attending a summer camp in classrooms close to her campus office. With a laugh, she said she was happy to have further support for her choice not to have children.

Posted on July 29, 2017

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