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Cited by 14Intergenerational Family Dynamics and CaregivingPhilosophical Ethics and TheoryPolitical Philosophy and Ethics

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Filial Obligations: A Contextual, Pluralist Model

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Schinkel, Anders·2012·The Journal of Ethics
DOI 10.1007/s10892-012-9132-8
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Abstract

In this article I investigate the nature and extent of filial obligations. The question what (adult) children owe their parents is not only philosophically interesting, but also of increasing relevance in ageing societies. Its answer matters to elderly people and their adult children, and is relevant to social policy issues in various ways. I present the strongest arguments for and against three models of filial obligations: the ‘past parental sacrifices’ model, the ‘special relationship’ model, and the conventionalist model. There is something to be said—and after consideration of objections something remains to be said—for all three models. In other words: filial obligations have more than one source, and an adequate model of filial obligations should reflect this. On its own, each of the above models is one-sided. They also fail to show the connections between the question of filial obligations and various other issues, such as issues of gender justice, the extent of institutionalization of eldercare, and social conventions regarding filial responsibility. Therefore, I integrate what I think we should keep from the aforementioned models into a contextual, pluralist model, which places filial obligations in a broader social and cultural context and relates them to issues of social justice. The model also highlights the difference between general and specific filial obligations, and the factors that determine their nature and extent, thus enabling a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of filial obligations.

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Metadata

Authors
Schinkel, A.
Affiliations
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Corresponding author
Schinkel, Anders
ORCID
Schinkel, Anders
Venue
The Journal of Ethics
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2012-06-12
Volume
16
Issue
4
Pages
395-420
ISSN
  • 1382-4554 (ISSN-L)
  • 1572-8609
DOI
10.1007/s10892-012-9132-8
OpenAlex
W2131183992
Cited by
14
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 3
FWCI
3.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • The Journal of Ethics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophical Ethics and Theory
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Political Philosophy and Ethics
Keywords
filial duty, intergenerational responsibility, conventionalism, pluralist model, gender justice, social justice, aging society, social conventions

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Schinkel, A. (2012). Filial Obligations: A Contextual, Pluralist Model. The Journal of Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10892-012-9132-8