Title: Paternalism - Wikipedia
Headings: Paternalism
Paternalism
Contents
Etymology
Types
Soft and hard
Pure and impure
Moral and welfare
Criteria for effective paternalism
Opponents
In society
See also
References
External links

Content: We are not speaking of children, or of young persons below the age which the law may fix as that of manhood or womanhood." Paternalism towards adults is sometimes thought of as treating them as if they were children. Contents
1 Etymology
2 Types
2.1 Soft and hard
2.2 Pure and impure
2.3 Moral and welfare
3 Criteria for effective paternalism
4 Opponents
5 In society
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Etymology
The word paternalism derives from the adjective paternal, which entered the English language in the 15th century from Old French paternel (cf. Old Occitan paternal, as in Catalan, Spanish and Portuguese ), itself from Medieval Latin paternalis. The classical Latin equivalent was paternus "fatherly", from pater "father". Types
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Soft and hard
Soft paternalism is the view that paternalism is justified only if an action to be committed is involuntary. John Stuart Mill gives the example of a person about to walk across a damaged bridge. One cannot tell the person the bridge is damaged as he does not speak our language. According to soft paternalism, one would be justified in forcing him to not cross the bridge so one could find out whether he knows about the damage. If he knows and wants to jump off the bridge and commit suicide then one should allow him to.