The Necessity of Autonomy (Free Will) in Society Essays

The Necessity of Autonomy (Free Will) in Society â€Å"Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing.† John Stuart Mill explicitly describes the necessity of autonomy or free will in society to insure the happiness of all. From this perspective one can recognize that autonomy should not only be unconditionally allowed, but also as an aspect of man that was developed along with the ability to reason. In accordance with the natural evolution of man as a rationale being, to limit one’s autonomy would be to deny the very ability that has†¦show more content†¦However, this idea does not prove to give support to the negation of importance of autonomy. In fact, because the individual does interact with the environment, the need for individual freedom in making choices because inherent. In addition, Mill suppor ted the belief that, â€Å"Each is the proper guardian of his own heath, whether bodily or mental and spiritual.† Therefore, by limiting autonomy the assumption would have to be made that the individual no longer has the ability to be the guardian of themselves. This concept can not be universally applied; independent of the structure of government in a particular society, because of the agreement that man is a rational being. With the negation of autonomy, comes the negation of reason and responsibility of man. Despite any argument for the need for control over society through limitations of autonomy, the natural instincts to choose freely in daily life will still persist. In contrast, Skinner felt that by not limiting mankind’s autonomy, all could be then held accountable for their actions and consequently punished. â€Å"That view...must be re-examined when a scientific analysis reveals unsuspected controlling relations between behavior and environment.† Without attempting to disprove the interaction between man and his environment, Skinner’s argument can still be proved to be incorrect when attempting to limit man’s autonomy. Although in a given situation a person may come toShow MoreRelatedThe Censorship of Pornography1581 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Censorship of Pornography: Censorship is vital and takes place on a daily basis in the modern society even in nations that state their respect and maintenance of the freedom of speech. For instance, there are several regulations that restrict broadcasters in the kind of programmes to be transmitted as specific times of the day. The other ways with which censorship happens every day is through the laws that forbid people from expressing themselves publicly toward particular political or ethnicRead MoreDifferences Between Virginia Woolf And A Room Of Ones Own And The Yellow Wallpaper792 Words   |  4 PagesGilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† explore a woman’s access to personal and physical space. Woolf stresses the importance of seclusion, while Gilman challenges the confinements of enforced isolation. The rooms in both stories represent women’s lack of autonomy and emotional and economic freedom. Thematically Woolf and Gilman speak to the infantilizing of women. Both of these authors use physical space as a metaphor for the ways that women were controlled and confined within the female domain. Men’s controlRead MoreEssay about Matewan1256 Words   |  6 Pagesthis seemingly American Township reveals itself as the site of feudal hardship for its citizens. The Stone Mountain Coal Company was the sole employer in Matewan. The company’s laborers struggled for autonomy and for freedom from the company’s grasp. The ideal method for this achieving such autonomy was organization of a union. This idea of union struck a cord with the company, and the conflict between employer and employee soon escalated into a battle. The laborers began to realize, in certainRead MoreThe Legal And Ethical Issues1532 Words   |  7 Pagesissues needed to prove and defend the claim for all parties involved. The Universal declaration of bioethics and human rights identifies t hree relevant principles to this case study. Beneficence and non-maleficent, the notion of proper free and informed consent, autonomy and the measure in place to protect individuals not capable of exerting this right. Finally, this essay will address the common conflicts that may arise and a process to address the conflict. Legal Issues In Queensland Health PolicyRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin And The House On Mango Street1732 Words   |  7 Pagesthe main idea is the same: to be free of restrictions, free to be whatever you wish. It is a life necessity, one that was, unfortunately, and still is, restricted throughout history, resulting in many chasing after its acquisition. Humans currently live in a time, in several nations, where freedom is a right, a necessity of life freely given. However, throughout history, freedom has been kept to only a minority, resulting in individuals struggling to change society for freedom to be distributed toRead MoreSimilarities Between Classical and Modern Liberals Are Greater Than the Differences. Discuss1729 Words   |  7 Pagesmore evident when analysing this ideology. Some will say that both classical and modern liberalists possess a number of parallel approaches towards this political theory and its key concepts. Firstly, both strands of Liberalism believe in the necessity of some kind of a state, since life without a state, as Thomas Hobbes stated, would be ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short’. Both views consider the existence of a state to be essential in order to protect individual rights. Since liberalsRead MoreThe Similarities Between Classical and Modern Liberalism Are Greater Than the Differences1725 Words   |  7 Pagesmore evident when analysing this ideology. Some will say that both classical and modern liberalists possess a number of parallel approaches towards this political theory and its key concepts. Firstly, both strands of Liberalism believe in the necessity of some kind of a state, since life without a state, as Thomas Hobbes stated, would be ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short’. Both views consider the existence of a state to be essential in order to protect individual rights. Since liberalsRead MoreThe Role Of Art On The Aesthetic Education Of Man By Frederik Schiller1508 Words   |  7 Pagesof the drives, placing the main focus on the role and importance of the play-drive in human life, to finally discuss the features in Schiller’s theory of play that help elucidate the role of art in human life. According to Schiller, men in modern society experiment a conflict between the cultivation of individual talent and the welfare of their community as a single being. This conflict results in an alienation of the being and its consequent fragmentation. Taking this into account, Schiller statesRead MoreThomas Hobbes and Modern Liberalism1505 Words   |  7 Pageson individualism, along with his agreeance and acceptance of intellectual and moral autonomy it is easy to understand why many modern liberals would agree with Hobbes’s political philosophy. However, Thomas Hobbes does not support the concept of a democratic government, rather he supported the notion of a absolutist government up until his death. Special attention must be given to Hobbes’s denial that autonomy can be thought of, or conceived as, a form of self-government. It is important to takeRead More The Use of Symbols in Adrienne Richs Poem, Aunt Jennifers Tigers818 Words   |  4 Pagestheir rights of lib erty at a time when many people started to conform to established norms. He voiced his opinions about the loss of freedom and invited society to realize that they were relinquishing their rights. Years later, his views still had an impact on citizens. Adrienne Rich, a poet of the mid-1900s, also found her autonomy a necessity in life. She wrote a poem in 1951 called Aunt Jennifers Tigers, which exhibited her opinions about living a life of reliance on others. The poem illustrates