Relational freedom and its political consequences

pp. 65-84

in: Bernard Dauenhauer, Elements of responsible politics, Berlin, Springer, 1991

Abstract

Probably the most pervasive doctrine of freedom today has roots extending back at least to Descartes and Hobbes. But it reached its full development during the French Enlightenment and now still dominates both popular and scholarly thought. According to this dominant doctrine, the basic characteristic and measure of freedom is autonomy. Each person is said to be free precisely insofar as he is independent of every Other.¹