Workshop on Authority and Autonomy

That intellectual autonomy is a desirable thing, something to admire in others and to nurture and cultivate in ourselves, is broadly assumed as true. We should 'use our own reason', as Immanuel Kant famously claimed. But what does it mean? How does an intellectually autonomous subject look like? The intellectually autonomous subject is not completely intellectually independent and self-reliant. We live and thrive intellectually in communities in which there is a division of epistemic labor, and in which competence and expertise are allocated unequally among subjects. But then, what is the role of autonomy in a world in which we have no choice but to rely on experts and epistemic authorities to achieve our epistemic goals? Can a subject be intellectually autonomous, while relying on others and while trusting others for the achievement of intellectual goods – such as truth, knowledge, and understanding?

An international spectrum of philosophers will address and discuss these topics. Early career scholars will serve as commentators. This will promote a horizontal knowledge transfer on all levels of experience and hopefully foster the general discussion.

This is the first international event within the TWF-funded TrAU! project.