Individual Autonomy

Historical Engagement

The contemporary understanding of individual autonomy is primarily influenced by Aristotle, the classical Greek philosopher, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant, both writing during the European Enlightenment of the 18th century. Aristotle's belief is that the purpose of government is to create public space in which each individual citizen can productively contribute to society, or, in Aristotle's terms, achieve the good life. Through personal choice and the development of productive habits, an individual alone possesses the ability to achieve the good life; the role of the government is merely to provide the context in which such achievement is possible. Kant, inspired by the writing of Rousseau, believed that individual autonomy is an essential aspect of human nature. The work of Aristotle, Rousseau, and Kant served as great inspiration for the founding fathers of the United States of America and presents the [Page 394]dominant framework for an understanding of individual autonomy within Western society. Within a democratic society, there is a general tension that exists between the exercise of one's autonomy and the will of the larger society; this tension often emerges in discussions regarding free speech. Although a Western understanding of individual autonomy, in which the individual is emphasized over the group, is privileged within this entry, a thorough study of worldwide cultures reveals many cultures that emphasize the group over the individual and that have a very different understanding of the concept.

Although the 20th-century work of the Continental existentialists emphasized total autonomy and personal freedom, most who assumed this approach to living found it unlivable over an extended period of time. When living within a society made up of more than a single individual, one cannot totally separate oneself from the larger culture. For example, regardless of one's position on the justness of war, one must recognize that the sacrifices of earlier generations allows one to have the freedom to publicly discuss and debate whether war has any value. As stated earlier, discussions surrounding free speech are one way in which the tension between individual autonomy and a larger society reveals itself. A person has the freedom to say, “I completely disagree with you and believe you're wrong, but I will fight for your ability to say what you believe.” One's responsibility is to share this dual commitment between protecting the freedoms of the individual and being sensitive to the concerns of the larger society.

...