Abstract
AbstractThe concept of autonomy is central to understanding the various accounts of personhood, moral obligation, and responsibility, and how social and political policies and theories might be justified. It is a central concept in questions concerning social intervention in public and social policy education, welfare, and various medical policies and procedures. It is clear that definitions of autonomy form the nucleus of much of the debate over same‐sex marriage, the right to die, medical intervention, drug policy, and abortion legislation, to name just a few. Autonomy, as embodying the idea that humans author the rules and laws by which they govern themselves, is a central concept of modern political thought and debate.