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Jake Desyllas

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My Article on Parental Obligations Now Published in the Journal of Libertarian Studies

August 7, 2025

My article What Is The Libertarian Theory of Parental Obligations? has been published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Libertarian Studies. Here is the abstract:

This article examines four competing philosophical theories of the parental role within a libertarian framework: parental ownership, parenting as charity, parenting as voluntary social contract, and causal parental responsibility. It critically analyzes each theory, evaluating its logical implications–particularly concerning the legitimacy of enforceable parental obligations–and its compatibility with libertarian principles. The article argues that the first three theories are unsound and incompatible with libertarianism. In contrast, it defends the theory of causal parental responsibility as the only sound framework consistent with libertarian philosophy, grounding enforceable parental obligations in the creation of peril. This analysis seeks to resolve long-standing debates and establish a coherent libertarian theory of parental obligation.

You can view the article here and download the PDF here. It is an honour to have my article appear in the world's leading journal for libertarian philosophy. This is the most important issue libertarians need to confront; I hope they are willing to.

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