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John Locke's Obligation Of Fatherhood

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his mother and nurse, till age and education brought him reason to govern himself?” pg. 309. The child – who according to Locke was born free and rational – fathoms their parents must govern them, to achieve important necessities of life, health, and body in the hopes of becoming a free man. This is the child’s goal and he will need and want to obey his parents. “He has laid on the children a perpetual obligation of honoring their parents,” pg. 311. Honor and respect are the main obligation of the child, for Locke believes gratitude and support is his returns to his parents, while parents understand they have no right to impose their own Will on their children. Parental powers and obligations are born out of Care and seemly innate guardian characteristics, which depicts another Lockean understanding. “… He is the guardian of his children, that when he quits his care of them, he loses his power over them,” pg. 310. Parental powers are inseparable toward their young because of this deeply embedded care and tenderness of fatherhood and especially that of motherhood. “The nourishment and education of their children, is a charge so incumbent on parents that nothing can absolve them from taking care of it,” pg. 312. Parental power induces tenderness, love, and …show more content…

“God having made the parents instruments in his great design of continuing the race of mankind,” pg. 315. I believe this understanding is from the biblical interpretations of Be Fruitful and Multiply. The last paternal power Locke addresses is a father’s paternal obligation of obedience. This understanding comes from the idea of parental jurisdiction. “And this is the power men generally have to bestow their estates on those, who please them best,” pg. 315. A father’s right to discipline is child is a parental power to maintain family inheritance, ancestry, and appropriate possessions and

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