ScholarOne - Autonomy as Virtue: Revising Neo-Kantian Autonomy in Mill’s
Notion of Individuality
Abstract
Although recognised, John Stewart Mill's Kantian influences have not
been thoroughly discussed. For my discussion, I draw largely upon the
Kantian principles of the duty of virtues scheme. This take on
neo-Kantian autonomy theories is appropriate to my interpretation of
Mill's individuality. I show that such a revision of autonomy, which
draws from Mill's liberalism by means of libertarian principles, is
rooted in the Kantian duty of virtues scheme. In this line of argument,
I re-situate contemporary neo-Kantian personal autonomy theories within
contemporary discourses of political liberalism and in liberal normative
ethics. I suggest an alternative to Kantian autonomy on the basis of
Mill's individuality, on a theoretical level, but also to initiate a
discussion of the significance of the above for current political
discourses on liberalism.