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Part of the book series: Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics ((SAPERE,volume 10))

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Abstract

The value of individual autonomy is a cornerstone of liberal societies. While there are various conceptions of the notion, it is arguable that on any plausible understanding of individual autonomy an autonomous agent needs to take into account the conditions that circumscribe her actions. If she ignores the limitations to which she is subject, she is unlikely to succeed in living autonomously. Yet it has also been suggested that allowing the options open for one to affect one’s preferences threatens autonomy (Elster 1985, Colburn 2011, cf. Bruckner 2009).

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Correspondence to Juha Räikkä .

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Räikkä, J., Varelius, J. (2013). Introduction. In: Räikkä, J., Varelius, J. (eds) Adaptation and Autonomy: Adaptive Preferences in Enhancing and Ending Life. Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics, vol 10. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38376-2_1

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