Autonomous decisions are those that a person consciously makes for himself, without being imposed by a third party. Faced with heteronomous decisions, obliged by laws, religion or social pressure, in autonomous decisions only the moral beliefs of the individual are important..
This concept is closely linked to moral autonomy. Only by being morally autonomous can you make your own decisions. Likewise, it is necessary to be able to analyze situations so that the decision is the most successful. In this regard, autonomy requires taking more risks than heteronomy.
However, some thinkers consider that the real scope of this autonomy is limited. This is because every individual is educated within a certain cultural and social context, aspects that inevitably condition their decision-making..
Another fundamental characteristic of autonomous decisions is their ethical component. Strictly, making a decision that harms others would be part of this concept, but philosophers who have dealt with the subject affirm that one must choose the right ethically.
An autonomous decision would be, for example, deciding to study a degree without any external motivation, such as the imposition of parents or the ease of finding a job when finishing it..
Autonomous decisions come from the morals, beliefs and purposes of the person who must make them. The will of that individual is not conditioned by any external factor, but is only due to personal determination.
Autonomy, therefore, can be defined as the ability to govern itself, without the chosen conduct being imposed by anyone.
These types of decisions are closely related to moral autonomy. It is the set of moral norms that the individual has chosen as a guide for his conduct, whether consciously or unconsciously..
This does not prevent part of these moral norms from being influenced by the society in which the person lives. Both education and the culture of society are forces that almost inevitably shape the beliefs of each individual..
On the other hand, moral autonomy also includes the ability to decide whether a decision is acceptable or not..
Autonomy is considered one of the main bioethical principles. According to its definition, it is the capacity that each person has to impose rules that govern their behavior. It is about making decisions without external coercion.
Several philosophical schools have contributed their ideas to the concept of autonomy, although almost all agree on the fundamental points. One of the most important contributions is that this autonomy should not be used against the decisions made by the rest of the people, which must be respected.
Autonomy, both associated with decisions and with other areas of life, begins to develop during childhood. The youngest children do not have any and they acquire it as they grow.
A decisive stage in the formation of autonomy is adolescence. Young people begin to make their own decisions, although many times that autonomy is not as real as they think.
Thus, due to the very characteristics of this age range, many decisions come from their desire to shape their personality in front of their parents, while others are strongly influenced by the dynamics of their social groups..
The philosopher Immanuel Kant is considered the author of the modern concept of autonomy. For this thinker, it was about the personal ability to govern by own rules, without these being imposed by any other entity.
Although this definition emphasizes the individual, for Kant this did not mean that it was a selfish concept. According to their approaches, exclusively individual norms were classified as immoral. For this reason, decisions made from autonomy should never harm others.
The freedom offered by making decisions with autonomy is a reflection of self-confidence, as well as maturity. In this way, that autonomy makes the person live according to their ethics, without being carried away by the need to like others or to conform to their wishes..
When a person acts seeking to please others, that is, in a non-autonomous way, it ends up causing a feeling of guilt and frustration.
Autonomous decisions are the opposite of heteronomous decisions. The first are only motivated by their own will, born of the moral and ethics of the person. On the contrary, the latter are those that are taken at the initiative of external factors. These can be from religious beliefs, inheritances, expectations created by the family or social pressure.
However, there is a line in which both types of decisions overlap. Thus, heteronomous decisions are often imposed by social factors, such as the traditions of each country, religion or customs..
Given that all people grow and shape their personality within these societies, some authors affirm that autonomy is many times more apparent than real. According to this, some people believe they are deciding for themselves when, in reality, they are influenced by social conditioning.
Resisting the influence of current fashion and friends when choosing clothes is an example of an autonomous decision. The same happens when one dresses in a certain way even if the parents do not like it.
Choosing which religion to profess, without paying attention to family beliefs or the tradition of your place of birth, is one of the clearest examples of this type of decision..
Start or continue with the partner that has been freely chosen despite family or social opposition.
In the opposite sense than the previous one, deciding to break up or divorce is often difficult due to factors beyond the individual will. Maintaining the decision demonstrates personal autonomy.
Peer or peer pressure can make it difficult to report behaviors that are personally considered wrong. An example of an autonomous decision is when a child alerts his teachers that a classmate is being bullied.
Although it is never a wise decision, it does not stop showing autonomy in the face of doctors' warnings.
In some circumstances, such as at a party or certain celebrations, there can be considerable pressure to drink alcohol. Refusing to do so is a good example of an autonomous decision.
Choosing the political ideology and the direction of the vote is another autonomous decision, since sometimes there may be pressures from the person's environment.
Starting to practice a sport is a decision that, almost always, is made autonomously.
Becoming a volunteer to improve a social situation is also an autonomous decision of each individual.
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