Setting Standards for Parenting - By What Right?

Mental health professionals, like other professionals involved in familymatters, feel constrained when advocating for the interests of children by the beliefthat parents are entitled to custody and control of their children\u27s lives, regardless ofwhat others may think of their parenting behavior, absent severe harm to the children.This belief is morally untenable, and the legal doctrine of parental rights that is itsconcrete embodiment is inconsistent with other well-established legal principles andshould be abandoned. Children alone should have legal rights in connection with theirupbringing, and those rights should include an entitlement to much higher standardsof parenting than the law presently imposes

The Gaia Commission: Climate Change and Moral Responsibility

Travail créatif / Creative WorkCette courte histoire se déroule dans le futur. Francis, un professeur de bioéthique à la retraite, doit comparaître devant la Commission Gaia pour tenir compte de ses émissions de carbone. Parce que celles-ci ont contribué aux changements climatiques, qui ont porté atteinte à certaines personnes et détruit des écosystèmes, il est accusé d’imprudence, de négligence et d’indifférence. Il semble avoir vécu une vie modeste et responsable, sauf pour ce qui est des émissions de carbone qu’il a généré par ses vols de longues distances pour assister à des conférences sur l’éthique et pour donner des présentations. Le narrateur de l’histoire a la tâche de défendre Francis devant la Commission Gaia. Il prend donc contact avec lui pour en savoir plus sur l’affaire et pour préparer sa défense. Ensemble, ils examinent le comportement et la pensée de Francis. Ce récit fictif soulève des questions éthiques pour tous ceux qui ont des empreintes de haute teneur en carbone, mais surtout pour ceux d’entre nous qui travaillent dans la bioéthique.This short story is set in the future. In it, Francis, a retired professor of bioethics, is scheduled to appear before the Gaia Commission to account for his carbon emissions. Because his carbon emissions contributed to climate change, which harmed people and destroyed ecosystems, he is charged with recklessness, negligence, and indifference. He seems to have lived a modest and responsible life, except for the carbon emissions that he generated by flying long distances to attend ethics conferences and to give lectures. The narrator of the story is assigned to defend Francis before the Gaia Commission, so he contacts Francis to learn more about the case and to prepare a defense. The two of them examine Francis’ conduct and thinking. This fictional account raises ethical issues for all of us who have high carbon footprints, but especially for those of us who work in bioethics

The economics of international monies

The economics of international monies is likely to be informative about the future of the euro. The authors summarize the history of international monies, from the gold solidus introduced in the fourth century to the present. They identify four common characteristics of these currencies: high unitary value; relatively low inflation rates; issuance by major economic and trading powers; and spontaneous, as opposed to planned, adoption. Recent theoretical literature supports the importance of the characteristics, while recent theories’ common implication of multiple equilibria supports the importance of spontaneous adoption as developed by Menger and Hayek.

International money and common currencies in historical perspective

The authors review the history of international monies and the theory related to their adoption and use. There are four key characteristics of these currencies: high unitary value; relatively low inflation rates for long periods; issuance by major economic and trading powers; and spontaneous, as opposed to planned, adoption internationally. The economic theory of the demand for money provides support for the importance of these characteristics. The value of a unit is arbitrary for a fiat money, but the other characteristics are likely to be important for determining any fiat money that will be the international money in the future. If the euro continues to exist for the next half century or so and has a relatively stable value, the authors conclude that the euro is likely to be serious competition for the dollar as the international money.Economic history

Equality Between Adults and Children: Its Meaning, Implications, and Opposition

Family law scholars have devoted much attention to equality among groups of adults and some attention to equality between groups of children. There has been little exploration, however, of the notion of equality between adults and children. In this Article, I first explain what it means at a basic, theoretical level to speak of such equality. I then identify some practical implications. Finally, I consider why there is great resistance to many practical implications of children\u27s equality, even among those who would consider themselves advocates for child welfare