Dr. Melissa Moschella on Parental Rights in Natural and Constitutional Law

What are parental rights? Are they a legal stance—or a philosophical one? In today's conversation, Dr. Melissa Moschella of the University of Notre Dame discusses the profound and practical implications of the parent-child relationship. She then explores how those conclusions operate in the American legal tradition, tracing from natural law to John Locke to historic court cases and the public discourse today. Chapters: 3:46 True rights imply true duties 10:04 Natural law: knowable through reason 15:00 The rights and duties of parents 22:32 Role of the state in the American tradition 28:44 Twentieth-century shift, John Rawls 37:29 Whether schools can be value-neutral 43:34 Parental rights in American courts 46:47 Beyond religious liberty 55:00 School choice as parental choice 1:00:57 Public discourse: how to talk to friends, family, neighbors 1:05:30 Her book on natural law Links: Melissa Moschella, Ph.D., McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame To Whom Do Children Belong? Parental Rights, Civic Education, and Children's Autonomy by Melissa Moschella Ethics, Politics, and Natural Law: Principles for Human Flourishing by Melissa Moschella Democratic Education by Amy Guttman (argued against by Dr. Moschella) Brief of Amica Curiae in Support of Petitioners by Melissa Moschella "Nonreligious Parents Have Rights Too," WSJ op-ed by Melissa Moschella Also on the Forum: The Mortara Case: Parental Authority and Thomas Aquinas featuring Dr. Matthew Tapie and Dr. Lionel Yaceczko Parents as Primary Educators by Michael Moynihan Featured Opportunities: Fathers' Conference at The Heights School (November 1, 2025) The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (January 7-9, 2026 / May 6-8, 2026)