The combined net worth of the 2012 class of the 400 richest Americans is $1.7 trillion, up from $1.5 trillion a year ago. The average net worth of a Forbes 400 member is a staggering $4.2 billion, up from $3.8 billion, and the highest ever, as two-thirds of the individuals added to their fortunes in the past year. Another factor: the gap between the very rich and the merely rich is widening.
paternalism (pÂ·terËÂ·nlÂ·izm), n a conflict between beneficence and auton-omy, such as when a practitioner ignores the choice that a patient makes because he or she feels that more good can be done by the practitioner's judgment. See also beneficence and autonomy.
Paternalism 1. Paternalism vs. Autonomy: You probably accept that people should not be free to do WHATEVER they want. For, there are many things that people might want to do that will harm othersâe.g., murder, rape, stealâand so we think that they should not be allowed to do these things. So, you probably agree with Millâs Harm Principle that we