Best Interests of the Child. A Socio-Ethical Foundation

儿童的最大利益一词出现在日常生活、公共辩论和社会科学的不同背景中。然而，缺乏一致的标准来准确地确定其内容，并避免它成为相互矛盾的利益的投射屏幕。此外，这个词（尤其是德国的Kindeswohl）可能会被批评为家长式的，因为它没有充分解决儿童的参与问题。该项目追求三个目标，这些目标密切相关，但权重不同：首先，它分析了相关学术辩论中该术语的规范含义。其次，它根据基督教伦理及其基本人类学假设（中心系统关注）确定并证实了界定儿童最大利益的规范性标准。第三，它阐明了实现儿童最大利益和在冲突（前景）中保护儿童的标准。这有助于填补学术空白，因为神学伦理迄今尚未对儿童和童年给予足够的关注。仍然需要发展一种社会伦理标准，为社会机构，特别是那些有义务促进儿童最大利益的社会机构提供方向。

The term best interests of the child occurs in different contexts of everyday life, public debate, and social sciences. Nevertheless, there is a lack of consistent criteria to precisely identify its content and to avoid that it serves as a projection screen for contradicting interests. Moreover the term (especially the German Kindeswohl) is likely to be criticised as paternalistic, because it does not address the participation of children sufficiently. The project pursues three objectives, which are closely connected but differently weighted: First, it analyses the normative implications of the term in relevant scholarly debates. Secondly, it identifies and substantiates normative criteria defining the best interests of the child with reference to Christian ethics and its basic anthropological assumptions (central systematic concern). Thirdly, it clarifies standards to operationalise the best interests of the child and to protect it in conflicts (prospect). This contributes to close an academic void, since theological ethics have not directed enough attention to children and childhood so far. A social-ethical criteriology, which could provide orientation for societal institutions, particularly those obliged to promote the best interests of the child, still needs to be developed.