On the relational conditions for autonomy

This thesis is about the concept of personal autonomy. In particular, it is about how we might understand the claim that social relations are constitutive of autonomy, and whether, appropriately understood, it is true. Personal autonomy, broadly construed, can be understood as an individual's ability to govern herself: to interact with the world, deliberate about what to do, to choose, and execute her choice. We value autonomy not only because we value being self-governing, but also because the concept plays important roles in various theoretical frameworks: in grounding respect, in setting the bounds of legitimate paternalistic intervention, and in identifying the candidates for political participation. Recently, conceptions of autonomy that are 'relational' have been developed. Such conceptions make explicit reference to the social environment of the agent. This thesis assesses the prospects for an adequate relational conception of autonomy.