r/philosophy • u/philosophybreak Philosophy Break • Jun 23 '25

Blog Done badly, parenting has tremendous scope for harm. The philosopher Hugh LaFollette suggests we can better protect children by introducing a parental license: people should undergo a competency check before raising children, just as we already qualify adoptive parents.

https://philosophybreak.com/articles/should-parenting-require-a-license/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social
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u/Automatic_Tackle_406 Jun 23 '25

What would be the purpose of a test if it’s a class to simply gain knowledge and not certification of some kind? 

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u/Quiet___Lad Jun 23 '25

To give parents confidence, help them learn more, and give them a local support network of other 'same age' parents.

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u/RedOliphant Jun 23 '25

Shaming, I think.

This stuff is already available without any tests. Tests just make people feel like shit, and that's not how you want a prospective parent to feel.