관계적 자율성 개념의 일고찰

Freedom and autonomy are topics of timeless interest on both a cognitive and normative level. As for the concept of autonomy, feminism has recently reconceptualized it from a relational perspective. ‘Relational autonomy’ is the conception of a free, self-governing agent who is socially constituted and who defines her basic value commitments in terms of interpersonal relations. Critiquing methodological individualism and libertarian individual conception of autonomy, the theories of relational autonomy emphasize the social components of our self-concepts and the role of the social dynamics in the development of autonomy. The various theories view persons as relational and socially constituted in fundamental ways and regard interpersonal and social factors as conceptually necessary for the autonomy of a person. The most advanced accounts of relational autonomy have been provided by the proceduralist views and substantive views. The former argues that autonomy is achieved when the agent undergoes an internal intellectual process of reflecting on her motivations, beliefs, and values. The latter, on the other hand, maintains that the contents of the preferences or values that agents can form or act on autonomously are subject to direct normative constraints. A preference to be enslaved or to be subservient cannot be autonomous. Despite the methodological differences, the overriding concern common to the various theories of relational autonomy is not breaking away from relation, but breaking away from oppression.