ID: 803-923-948 Philosophy c156 14-Sep-14 Topic 2: Paternalism as Disrespect Seana Shiffrin argues that paternalistic behavior is wrong because it “manifests an attitude of disrespect toward highly salient qualities of the autonomous agent” (Shiffrin, “Paternalism, Unconscionability Doctrine, and Accommodation” 220). What does Shiffrin mean when she says that paternalistic behavior is disrespectful? Is Shiffrin right that paternalistic behavior is disrespectful or insulting to autonomous agents? When we think of autonomy, the first thing that comes to mind is the ability of self government. Of course, in terms of an individual, this refers to his/her ability of having freedom when it comes to exercising will and taking action. This is precisely where Shiffrin finds fault with paternalism. According to her, paternalism, while meant for the greater good, does in fact imply innate disrespect towards a person’s autonomous capabilities. In the following essay I will initially focus on what Shiffrin believes paternalism is. Then I will discuss which parts of autonomy Shiffrin believes paternalism allegedly disrespects; namely: judgment, action, & authority. After I’m done with discussing the parts of autonomy that are allegedly disrespected, I will go into more detail by showing examples of each of these scenarios. Finally, I will conclude my essay by agreeing with Shiffrin and showing why her argument is legitimate. Shiffrin defines paternalism as a type of authoritative behavior that is exercised by one party over another, simply because of its, alleged superiority over the latter. This is done without the consent or request of the alleged beneficiary, and is solely the initiative of the party exercising it. The problems that arise from this type of behavior have to do with the fact that, the act itself implies several unsubstantial and unreasonable assumptions. The main problem being the fact that, the person exercising this behavior blindly assumes that he/she is better fit to judge the situation at hand and make decisions on behalf of someone else; implying that they are superior to the former in one way or the other. Shiffrin believes that paternalism is disrespectful 1