Autonomy and Personal Values

Overview

This lecture introduces the ideal of autonomy, highlighting its importance in living a worthwhile life according to personal values and choices.

Autonomy is the ideal of living according to one's own values, desires, and goals.
It is a widely held value that people should strive for in their lives.
Everyone has different preferences, dreams, and aspirations which reflect individual autonomy.
Living a life based on someone else's vision is seen as undesirable and lacking in autonomy.
Concepts like freedom, self-determination, and liberty are closely related to autonomy.
Autonomy means striving to identify what matters to you and living in alignment with those things.

Not every personal desire, like wanting to commit harm, is justifiable under autonomy.
Conflicting values mean not all autonomous actions are acceptable or respected by others.
The idea of "autonomously doing wrong" is controversial and often considered indefensible.

Becoming autonomous is linked to becoming an adult or "grown-up."
Personal autonomy grows as individuals decide what is meaningful and pursue those things.
Autonomy is central to many ethical and philosophical discussions and will be a key theme in the course.

Autonomy — the ability to make decisions and live according to one’s own values and goals.
Self-determination — the ability to direct your own life and make independent choices.
Liberty — freedom from external control; closely tied to autonomy.