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Article Evaluation

Autonomy 
 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you? The section Robotics is somewhat confusing as it is discussing autonomous vehicles. Wikipedia already insisted on a rewrite for that section.
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position? Neutral
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented? Covers several different philosophers point of views, as well as provides definitions in several different situations (ie. medical, political or philosophical).
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article? Yes.
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Rough Draft for Improving Autonomy Article

Philosophers

- Kant

Autonomy can be defined by three themes regarding contemporary ethics. Firstly, autonomy as the right for one to make their own decisions excluding any interference from others. Secondly, autonomy as the capacity to make such decisions through one’s own independence of mind and after reflection. Thirdly, an ideal way of living life autonomously. In summary, autonomy is the moral right one possesses, or the capacity we have in order to think and make decisions for oneself providing some degree of control or power over the events that unfold within one’s everyday life. The context in which Kant addresses autonomy is in regards to moral theory, asking both foundational and abstract questions. He believed that in order for there to be morality, there must be autonomy. He breaks down autonomy into two distinct components. “Auto” can be defined as the negative form of independence, or to be free in a negative sense. This is the aspect where decisions are made on your own. Whereas, “nomos” is the positive sense, a freedom or lawfulness, where you are choosing a law to follow. Kantian autonomy also provides a sense of rational autonomy, simply meaning one rationally possesses the motivation to govern their own life. Rational autonomy entails making your own decisions but it cannot be done solely in isolation. Cooperative rational interactions are required to both develop and exercise our ability to live in a world with others.

- Nietzche

Autonomy in this sense is referred to as the free self and entails several aspects of the self, including self-respect and even self-love. This can be interpreted as influenced by Kant (self-respect) and Aristotle (self-love). For Nietzsche, valuing ethical autonomy can dissolve the conflict between love (self-love) and law (self-respect) which can then translate into reality through experiences of being self-responsible. Because Nietzsche defines having a sense of freedom with being responsible for one’s own life, freedom and self-responsibility can be very much linked to autonomy.

- Piaget

Autonomy comes from within and results from a “free decision”. It is of intrinsic value and the morality of autonomy is not only accepted but obligatory. When an attempt at social interchange occurs, it is reciprocal, ideal and natural for there to be autonomy regardless of why the collaboration with others has taken place. For Piaget, the term “autonomous” can be used to explain the idea that rules are self-chosen. By choosing which rules to follow or not, we are in turn determining our own behaviour.

“autonomous morality” —> duties are conceived as given from oneself —> moral motivation, moral sentiment are possible as we are doing what we believe to be right

“heteronomous morality” —> duties are conceived as given from the outside —> follow this rule mechanically as it is simply the rule or we are trying to avoid punishment

- Kohlberg

Took Piaget’s theory of moral development and extended it further by asking adolescent and teenage boys to try and solve “moral dilemmas”. The answers they provided could be one of two things. Either they choose to obey a given law, authority figure or rule of some sort or they chose to take actions that would serve a human need but in turn break this given rule or command. The most popular moral dilemma asked involved the wife of a man approaching death due to a special type of cancer. Because the drug was too expensive to obtain on his own, and because the pharmacist who discovered and sold the drug had no compassion for him and only wanted profits, he stole it. Kohlberg asks these adolescent and teenage boys (10, 13 and 16 year olds) if they think that is what the husband should have done or not. Therefore depending on their decisions, they provided answers to Kohlberg about deeper rationales and thoughts and determined what they value as important. This value then determine the “structure” of their moral reasoning. Through these questions and dilemmas Kohlberg went onto create the stages of moral development.

Possible books and citations:

Michel Foucault: Personal Autonomy and Education by J.D Marshall

Nietzche on Freedom and Authonomy by Ken Gemes and Simon May

Kant on Moral Autonomy by Oliver Sensen

Piaget's Construction of the Child's Reality by Susan Sugarman

Social and Personality Development by David R. Shaffer