O'Neill

Onora Oneill is a modern Kantian. After discussion of her in class, I learned how she tries to apply Kant's views to a modern issue. Her belief is that children's rights cannot be grounded on moral rights, rather they must be grounded in moral obligations. This argument says that the rights of children would be better represented by the law if we look at it in this way. I think this is because children only have the rights that are provided by the fulfillment of obligations by the adults around them. Failure of adults to fulfill these obligations therefore should be the basis of the laws about children, rather than laws stipulating the rights that children should have. I think her argument is a valid one to a point. I don't know where she draws the line between children and adults because this could change the ability of children to fulfill their own obligations.