Autonomy

Abstract

This chapter has a closer look at the role of autonomy in political liberalism and what implication a requirement for citizens’ autonomy has for political liberal education. Political liberalism rejects any reliance on substantive conceptions of autonomy which are connected to comprehensive ethical views that are not necessarily shared by all reasonable citizens. Instead, political liberalism insists on so-called political autonomy of individuals which pertains only to their roles as citizens. The just state is not supposed to be concerned with peoples’ autonomy beyond this requirement, according to Rawls. However, from a perspective of education it appears hard to make sense of a concept of political autonomy without having first a concept of personal autonomy. Therefore, this chapter argues, the political liberal state must care about the development of citizens’ individual autonomy as well. Yet this does not mean that political liberalism needs to endorse a substantive notion of autonomy, as the concept of individual autonomy that can serve as a precursor for political autonomy is only a weak one without deeper connections to any substantive ethical views.