autonomy
Meaning: The right or condition of self-governance; the ability of an individual or group to make their own decisions and control their own affairs without external control.
Autonomy operates at multiple levels. In politics, it refers to self-governance — Scottish autonomy, regional autonomy, institutional autonomy. In medical ethics, patient autonomy — the right to make informed decisions about one's own treatment — is a fundamental principle. In philosophy, Kant placed autonomy at the centre of moral agency: only a rational being who freely chooses to act morally is truly moral. The adjective 'autonomous' is widely used, from autonomous vehicles to autonomous organisations.
Examples
- The devolution settlement granted Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland varying degrees of political autonomy within the United Kingdom. 权力下放协议给予苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰在联合王国内不同程度的政治自治权。El acuerdo de descentralización otorgó a Escocia, Gales e Irlanda del Norte diversos grados de autonomía política dentro del Reino Unido.権限委譲の合意により、スコットランド、ウェールズ、北アイルランドは英国内でさまざまな程度の政治的自治権を付与された。권한 이양 합의에 따라 스코틀랜드, 웨일스, 북아일랜드는 영국 내에서 다양한 수준의 정치적 자치권을 부여받았다.
- Patient autonomy is a core principle of medical ethics, requiring that individuals give informed consent before any treatment is administered. 患者自治权是医学伦理的核心原则,要求在实施任何治疗之前,个人必须给予知情同意。La autonomía del paciente es un principio fundamental de la ética médica, que exige que las personas den su consentimiento informado antes de que se les administre cualquier tratamiento.患者の自律性は医療倫理の中核的原則であり、いかなる治療が施される前にも個人がインフォームド・コンセントを行うことを要求する。환자의 자율성은 의료 윤리의 핵심 원칙으로, 어떠한 치료가 시행되기 전에 개인이 충분한 설명에 기반한 동의를 할 것을 요구한다.
- The university has traditionally enjoyed a high degree of autonomy from government interference in its academic affairs. 该大学在学术事务方面传统上享有高度的独立于政府干预的自治权。La universidad ha gozado tradicionalmente de un alto grado de autonomía frente a la injerencia del gobierno en sus asuntos académicos.大学は学術的事項において、政府の干渉から高度な自律性を伝統的に享受してきた。대학은 학술적 사안에 있어 정부의 간섭으로부터 높은 수준의 자율성을 전통적으로 누려왔다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, professional, media
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Greek autonomia (self-governance), combining autos (self) and nomos (law, custom). Originally used of Greek city-states that governed themselves independently.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
More from Philosophy & Ethics
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free