LIBERALISM, PARENTAL RIGHTS, PUPILS AUTONOMY AND EDUCATION

Liberals, from Mill to Rawls see personal autonomy as paramount in civ il society. They see human dignity to consist essentially in personal autonomy, that is, 'in the ability of each person to determine for him self or herself a view of the good life' (Taylor, C. (1992) p. 27). Mu lticulturalism and ''The Politics of Recognition'' p. 57 (Princeton, P rinceton University Press). This emphasis on personal autonomy underli es much of liberal emphasis on freedom of conscience, justice, rights and fairness. Its core thesis is that a just society seeks not to prom ote any particular view of the good life, but enables its citizens to pursue their own ends consistent with a similar liberty for all others . Yet, when some citizens in America attempted to pursue their own vie w of the good life, they came up against head-on conflict with the lib eral state. These groups saw civic education with its emphasis on indi vidual choice, on reflecting and weighing of alternative viewpoints an d on personal autonomy, as threatening to their way of life and to the ir fundamental religious beliefs, and consequently they challenged the state in the courts. What ensued raised profound educational problems for educating children, parental rights, and the right of the State i n a liberal democratic society, which are discussed in this paper.