Autonomy

Beate Roessler is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam.

“It needs a rare mixture of hermeneutical sensibility, analytical scrutiny, and existentialist imagination to give the individual search for autonomy the right place within the imponderables of one’s life. Beate Roessler, possessing these talents abundantly, is in my view the first one to fully illuminate both the desire and the difficulties we have in finding our own voice in the midst of social obstructions, individual self-misunderstandings, and communicative relationships. Her new book is by far the best philosophical study on this intricate topic and therefore a must-read.”Axel Honneth, Department of Philosophy, Columbia University“In one of the most lucid and insightful treatments of the subject of autonomy in the recent literature, Roessler takes profoundly seriously the contingencies and ambivalences inherent in everyday life, even in well-lived lives. The view of autonomy that emerges is thereby more nuanced, appropriately complex, and true to life than most on offer. The masterful use of literary examples, echoed in her own elegant writing, makes Roessler’s treatment of the topic a joy to read. Moreover, the account she offers, both of autonomy and its connection to a life well lived, is powerful and compelling.”John Christman, Professor of Philosophy, Political Science and Women's Studies, Pennsylvania State University“Engagingly written, and enriched with a series of well-chosen literary examples, Autonomy masterfully articulates the tensions between two conflicting but deeply entrenched conceptions of ourselves – as self-determined agents, and as beings who are subject to situations and circumstances that we do not choose. In explaining how these tensions can be reconciled, Beate Roessler presents a compelling argument for the view that autonomy is a necessary condition for a well-lived life. A lucid exploration of the interconnections between autonomy, self-knowledge, privacy, and social relationships, Autonomy makes an important contribution to the contemporary literature on autonomy.”Catriona Mackenzie, Professor of Philosophy, Macquarie University

• Preface to the English edition vii Preface viiiIntroduction: Autonomy in Everyday Life 11 What is Autonomy? A Conceptual Approach 10Remarks on the history of the concept 11Negative freedom, positive freedom, autonomy 14Conditions of individual autonomy 17Autonomy and rational plans 242 Ambivalences 27Various forms of ambivalence 28Ambivalence as a disease of the will 32Is an ambivalent will a healthy will? 34The ambivalent self 37Conflicts of ambivalence as conflicts of identity 39Autonomy and the acceptance of conflicts 413 Autonomy and the Meaning of Life 43Why do we value autonomy? 45Sisyphus contented 47Does the meaning of life consist in the satisfaction of desire? 48The objective meaning of life 52Mill’s crisis and subjective meaning in life 58When does the question of meaning arise? 604 Autonomy, Self-Knowledge, and Self-Deception 63Self-knowledge and self-determination 63Self-deception: how can I be mistaken about myself? 66How can self-knowledge fail? On fundamental epistemic uncertainties 73The quantified self 805 Autonomy, Self-Thematization, Self-Examination: From Diaries to Blogs 84Self-examination, self-control, reflection 84Why diaries? And which diaries? 89Autonomy in the diary: examples 92Blogs and the new technologies of self-examination 102What is the framework of autonomy? 1076 Autonomous Choice and the Good Life 110The question of the good life and perfectionism 110Happiness, autonomy, and meaning 115The significance of choosing: conditions of an autonomous decision 117Who actually chooses and in what context? 120Alienation (and authenticity) 123Virtue and character 1297 Private Life 135Why privacy? 135Dimensions of privacy 136Informational privacy, social relationships, and autonomy 139Autonomous persons in relationships (I) 142Autonomy and domestic privacy: autonomous persons in relationships (II) 146Privacy and democratic society 1508 Social Preconditions of Autonomy 154What are social conditions? 154The social constitution of autonomy 156Autonomy, ideology, and adaptive preferences 162Social opportunities and justice 169Between autonomy and oppression: limiting cases 1729 The Reality of Autonomy 177Autonomy is not an illusion 177The significance of social practices 179Social unfreedom and implicit bias 181Aspects of moral responsibility 186Autonomy and the life well lived 189Notes 193Bibliography 229Index 250