Autonomy

We take it for granted that we are autonomous. We believe that a life in which we have to do important things against our will cannot be a successful one. However, it is also true that many aspects of our lives are not freely chosen. This applies to many social relationships as well as to certain situations we simply find ourselves in. Everyday experience teaches us that self-determination can indeed succeed, but it often fails as well. Beate Rössler explores the tension between our normative self-understanding and the experiences we have when we try to lead an autonomous life. From various perspectives and drawing on literary texts, such as those by Siri Hustvedt and Jane Austen, as well as diaries, including those of Franz Kafka and Max Frisch, she sheds light on the resistances that arise in this context.