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Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Dictionary Definiton:
Paternalism is the interference of a state or an individual with another person, against their will, and defended or motivated by a claim that the person interfered with will be better off or protected from harm.
Two types of Paternalism as Soft vs. Hard:
Soft Paternalism: State interference can only be justified under certain conditions, which there is a need to determine whether the individual is acting voluntarily and knowledgeably. If there is the consent of the individual for the situation that may be harmful for them, they should be allowed to do whatever they want such as committing suicide.
Hard Paternalism: Interference is justified even though the individual is aware of the possible harmful outcomes of her/his actions. For example: if one wishes to commit suicide, we do not only have a right to interfere, but we are also entitled to prevent such an harmful act for the individual itself.
Source:
Dworkin, Gerald. "Paternalism." . Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , 6 Nov. 2002. Web. 8 May 2014. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paternalism/>.
