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(At least) since the Enlightenment, autonomy has been something people have aspired to. Nevertheless, the precise meaning of this concept has been contested: Are we autonomous in our actions when we decide for ourselves, i.e. without other people interfering? Or does our autonomy depend on the content of our decisions, i.e. on them being rational (or even moral)? Or does it suffice if we endorse and stand by our decisions, regardless of their content and of how they came about? In this seminar, we want to explore these and related questions concerning personal autonomy. We will focus on the classical understanding of the concept as it has been put forward by Immanuel Kant as well as on its modern interpretations, for instance those advanced by Harry Frankfurt and John Christman. We will also discuss skeptical positions - such as that of Rüdiger Bittner or feminist philosophers such as Marina Oshana - which call into question either the possibility or the desirability of autonomy. |
