Gooding on Smoking and Weak Paternalism

Robert Gooding, “No Smoking”

The Problem of Paternalism

Mill, Liberty, and the Harm Principle

Autonomy and the Freedom to Harm Oneself

When Is Paternalistic Legislation Permissible?

“If it is autonomy that we are trying to protect in opposing paternalistic legislation in general, then the same values that lead us to oppose such legislation in general will lead us to welcome it in those particular cases where what we are being protected from is something that would deprive us of the capacity for autonomous choice.”

Test Cases:  Suicide?  Delusional Thoughts? Addiction? Smoking?