From the Amazon review:
Against Autonomy: Justifying Coercive Paternalism
Sarah Conly rejects the idea of autonomy as inviolable and argues that laws that enforce what is good for the individual's well-being, or hinder what is bad, are morally justified. Of interest to students and researchers of political philosophy, political theory and philosophy of law.
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From another review:
For some final, powerful examples of Conly's argument at work in the real world, just read the very first sentence of her book, which explains the problems a paternalistic government could help us to solve: "We are too fat, we are too much in debt, and we save too little for the future."
See? Too much debt! No savings for the future!
We individuals and societies are reckless, but government would never behave like that.
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The question is: can government be sure that what is bad for you may not be good for me?
For instance: endocannabinoid system is pervasive in the body. Has cannabis prohibition hurt those with problems in their endocannabinoid system? To be sure. Both by retarding research and preventing medical use of cannabis.
Here is something I sent my Rep. yesterday:
Cosponsor H.R. 689 and H.R. 784
Medical Marijuana prohibition is a crime against humanity and a violation of the religious precept - heal the sick.
The endocannabinoid system is a major regulator in the body implicated in almost all diseases including cancer. There are patients who can't wait. Please help.
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What most people caught up in the political dichotomy of today fail to get is that the left and the right both believe they favor liberty. And how is that justified by each side? "My fears are real, yours are imaginary."
Once upon a time in the West we countered the fear problem with faith in God. That has given way to faith in Rome (government). We used to wish to be ruled by the "holy spirit" as it moved us individually. Now we want to be ruled by rules developed remotely. The more remote the rules and the more immediate the enforcment the better.
We in fact don't have a government problem. We have a spiritual problem. A lack of trust in God. There was a guy 2,000 years ago who expounded on the problem. His current day followers appear to have missed the message. They prefer to act in the very way he railed against. "Stone her" is their rallying cry. Well maybe not to the point of death. Just a very long stretch in stir. Kinder and gentler.