Historical Roots of the Concept of Autonomy in Western Philosophy
Historical Roots of the Concept of Autonomy in Western Philosophy

Summary/Abstract: The idea that human beings are or should be independent, is obviously popular, but difficult to understand at the same time. Some examples may show our ambiguity in this respect. Although there is general agreement on the difficulty of determining whether human beings really are free, in the eyes of the law people generally are held responsible for what they have done. Teachers tell us that they want their pupils to become mature human beings, able to determine their own course of life. But do they have any clear idea of the constraints people are subjected to at the quite exceptional moments when indeed they are supposed to make up their minds?

• Details
• Contents