Autonomy in Context

Interdisciplinary workshop with scholars working in the fields of law, ethics of medicine, theology, and philosophy
Is the individual capable of making autonomous decisions based on free will? Is "self-determination" a normative construct or an actually demonstrable human capability? Can the idea of human autonomy serve as a useful tool for biomedical practice, especially in the current debate relating to topics such as artificial insemination or euthanasia? These questions were the focus of a two-day interdisciplinary workshop that took place on 14 and 15 February 2008.



In the field of bioethics, the idea of patient autonomy has gained wide public attention. Liberal bioethics supporters, for example, demand reproductive autonomy, that is, self-determination in issues regarding reproduction. This would also include the right to in-vitro fertilization for post-menopausal women. In contrast, other bioethicists argue that parenthood and the family are important social institutions of modern states and should not be subject exclusively to the free choice of individual citizens. "A similar debate is currently going on in the area of euthanasia," notes Professor Volker Lipp (Center for Medical Law), who initiated the workshop together with Professor Claudia Wiesemann (Department of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine).