Autonomy, Freedom and Rights - A Critique of Liberal Subjectivity

Autonomy, viewed as a subject's autonomous designing of her own distinctive 'individuality', is not a constitutive problem for liberal theory. Since its earliest formulations, liberalism has taken it for granted that protecting rights is a sufficient guarantee for the primacy of individual subjectivity. The most dangerous legacy of the 'hierarchical-dualist' representation of the subject is the primacy given to reason in defining an individual's identity. For Santoro freedom is not a fixed measure. It is not the container of powers and rights defining an individual's role and identity. It is rather the outcome of a process whereby individuals continuously re-define the shape of their individuality. Freedom is everything that each of us manages to be in his or her active and uncertain opposition to external 'pressures'.

List of contents

1. Individual Autonomy and Freedom.- 2. A Genealogical Approach.- 3. Neo-Contractarianism and the Double Order of Desires.- Conclusion.- References.

Summary

Autonomy, viewed as a subject's autonomous designing of her own distinctive 'individuality', is not a constitutive problem for liberal theory. Since its earliest formulations, liberalism has taken it for granted that protecting rights is a sufficient guarantee for the primacy of individual subjectivity. The most dangerous legacy of the 'hierarchical-dualist' representation of the subject is the primacy given to reason in defining an individual's identity. For Santoro freedom is not a fixed measure. It is not the container of powers and rights defining an individual's role and identity. It is rather the outcome of a process whereby individuals continuously re-define the shape of their individuality. Freedom is everything that each of us manages to be in his or her active and uncertain opposition to external 'pressures'.

Product details

• Authors: Emilio Santoro
• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.07.2009
• EAN: 9781402014048
• ISBN: 978-1-4020-1404-8
• No. of pages: 294
• Weight: 612 g
• Illustrations: X, 294 p.
• Series: Law and Philosophy Library; Law and Philosophy Library
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy > Miscellaneous; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Law > General, dictionaries; Philosophie, B, Law, Political Science, Will, Philosophy, Positivism, Political science & theory, Law—Philosophy, Methods, theory & philosophy of law, Theories of Law, Philosophy of Law, Legal History, Philosophy of Law, Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy, general, Politikwissenschaft und politische Theorie