TO CARE FOR, OR NOT TO CARE FOR. FEMINISTS AND LIBERTARIANS ON CHILDCARE AND THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR ENCOUNTER
TO CARE FOR, OR NOT TO CARE FOR. FEMINISTS AND LIBERTARIANS ON CHILDCARE AND THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR ENCOUNTER

Summary/Abstract: The article investigates the issue of childcare from the perspective of political philosophy. It aims at presenting and comparing contributions in the field under study provided by the two contradictory veins of political philosophy: feminism and libertarianism. The preliminary assumption of the article, inspired by the so-called horseshoe theory, was that the analysis of the two politically contradictory approaches to the same issue would show their convergence. The first part of the article is devoted to the feminist views on childcare. It presents apparent divisions of feminist thought concerning the issue under discussion and shows ambiguous feminists’ stance toward childcare. The following part regards libertarians’ reflections concerning childcare. Both parts comment on the sources of duty to care for children, as perceived by representatives of feminism and libertarianism; the distinction between the moral and legal nature of such duties is recognised. The third part of the article indicates similarities and differences between the two explored strands of political philosophy in the field of childcare. Moreover, their legal implications are discussed.

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