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Argument: Abuses do not demonstrate corporal punishment is inherently wrong

Issue Report: Corporal punishment of children

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David Benatar. “Corporal Punishment Social Theory and Practice”. Social Theory and Practice. Summer 1998: “The fact that there are some parents and teachers who inflict physical punishment in an abusive way does not entail the conclusion that corporal punishment should never be inflicted by anybody. If it did have this entailment, then, for example, the consumption of any alcohol by anybody prior to driving would have to be condemned on the grounds that some people cannot control’ how much alcohol they consume before driving. Just as we prohibit the excessive but not the moderate use of alcohol prior to driving, so should we condemn the abusive but not the nonabusive use of corporal punishment.”