Eva’s Reviews > The Sovereign Child: How a Forgotten Philosophy Can Liberate Kids and Their Parents > Status Update

lol is that the argument really?

Ahh yes, a society without rules and anarchy!

Yes. Or the argument is that there will be less conflict if you facilitate for children instead of giving them rules. And that having less rules theoretically avoids crushing curiosity and agency in children. I really sympathise with this and wish my parents had done a little less rule enforcing myself.

But his result of using this technique on his own children seems to be exactly what the critics said it would be. At least his boy eats nothing but ice cream one month and nothing but oreo the next. They can't go to normal school because they don't go to bed until 1am and they all use screens for 10-12 hours a day. Then you would have believed he was like: "oh well there are some negatives with my approach". But oh no. He just doubles down and says eating nothing but ice cream is a good thing. Because he don't have to cook for his child and the child will not be scared of food🙄

I believe the Hegelian conception of freedom is superior to the incredibly vulgar idea of anarchy expressed here. The freedom that emerges within a ordered structure is more profound compared to the Hobbesian nightmare of an absolute free-for-all. Creativity is a function of structure, it emerges within some boundary, not a a consequence of the lack of any boundaries and rules.

Nothing wrong with a little freedom. Sometimes you gotta touch a burning stove to never do it again.

However, there needs to be some rules and structure, even animals know to not take food from the alpha protector. I think that's what Thomas Hobbes was arguing in Leviathan in which society needs law and order or we will collapse. Even when some laws are stupid (running a red at 2am with no traffic)

Agreed Thomas. No rules when you are a toddler trying to figure out the world dont seems to be the answer. Especially when some of the brightest minds in the world are working against you ie candy, fast-food and screens.

But I do think there is a point to be made about stupid rules and just following orders here. I do like the idea of taking children seriously and not enforce rules because-I-said-so. You want to touch the stove? OK go ahead, your going to regret it and learn.

Thomas wrote: "I believe the Hegelian conception of freedom is superior to the incredibly vulgar idea of anarchy expressed here. The freedom that emerges within a ordered structure is more profound compared to th..."

100% agree. this libertarian notion of placing freedom as the highest virtue above-all-else, no-matter-what poisons everything. some hierarchies are very valuable and most things we cherish, blossom under such hierarchies. this applies to state and family as well.

i like the approach of a somewhat loose parenting, where you treat the child as a person and not a behavioural psych project in upbringing. but from the sound of it, this definitely ain't that.

Off topic but I find it funny both Tomas and I spoke about Hobbes when neither of us saw the other post lol

Thomas* always an awkward autocorrect when writing on the phone

Kale wrote: "Off topic but I find it funny both Tomas and I spoke about Hobbes when neither of us saw the other post lol"

which other post?

I smiled about that too Kale!

Aellas post Chattle childhood is the other side of the extreme, tho. I like the phrase treat children as parents with dementia. Keep them from hurting themselves, but don't take away all of their agency.

I am not a parent, though. And I believe that I will still value my own freedom enough to take advantage of childrearing institutions like school and kindergarden.