The moral goods of the parental relationship

In this article, I reflect on the moral goods involved in the parental relationship. In particular, I am interested in explaining the specific nature of the moral goods involved in the parental relationship. To do so, it is necessary, first of all, to make a distinction between the stages of development of the person. I argue that an explanation of the moral goods of this relationship must distinguish between the developmental stages of children and adults, proposing an explanation based on the moral goods proper to each stage. Second, I argue that moral philosophy has always had, as its focus, the goods of adults, their moral goods are those that identify the various ethical theories. However, in the explanation of the moral goods of childhood, a particular reflection is necessary. I examine the literature on the subject and systematize the findings of the various authors, together with my own position on this point. From an ethical point of view, I am interested in reflecting on how these goods are integrated in the context of the parental relationship. In the final part of the article, I argue that 1) the goods of the parents are the goods of the children and the way in which these are promoted; 2) the core of the parental relationship is gratuitousness, in a manner similar to friendship.