“You should be forced to buy this book”

The title of this post comes from Stephen Hicks, who blogs on a new book by aspiring philosopher-queen Sarah Conly defending paternalistic laws;

that is, laws that make you do things, or prevent you from doing things, for your own good. I argue [says the bossy bitch] that autonomy, or the freedom to act in accordance with your own decisions, is overrated … we need the help of others—and in particular, of government regulation—to keep us from going wrong.”

To which busybody-babble Hicks drily responds:

Rumour has it that contrarian paternalists disagree violently, arguing that Conly should have been prevented by force from writing the book.

What does she miss? Many things, including this: “To be fully human is to make one’s own decisions and initiate one’s own actions in life.”

Sarah Conly is not fully human.

Or wishes not to be.