Autonomy is the core of a lively debate on moral and political philosophy, where many competing perspectives and conceptual distinctions are presented. Several authors tend to override the metaphysical questions of determinism and free will: this is the right step for emphasizing the dimensions of individual choice as well as the role of socialization in developing capacities for critical reflection. In this context, the most important distinction is between "moral" autonomy and "personal" autonomy. Generally speaking, the theorists of personal autonomy try to give an account of autonomy that is conceived not only as moral agency. This move allows the consideration of several patterns of practical reasoning that imply several kinds of reasons for acting. The argumentation considers the discussion between "procedural" and "substantive" theories. Procedural theories emphasize the structural conditions of the process of "identification" with one's own motives. Even if these conditions are relevant, substantive theories rightly point to the role of the content of our reasons for autonomous agency. This perspective requires substantive standards according to which we can recognize and criticize oppressive norms. The main theoretical proposal of this work is to show the normative requirements for autonomy. An intersubjective model is promising if we consider socialization from the point of view of the process through which we develop the cognitive and moral capacities necessary for autonomy. The "scorekeeping" model, (an original variant of Wittgenstein's linguistic game as proposed by Robert Brandom) seems to offer the deontic structure of discursive practices in which the agents have the possibility of discussing and criticizing their own and others' reasons.

Il concetto di "autonomia" rappresenta uno dei temi più importanti in filosofia morale e politica. La recente pubblicazione dei libri Autonomy and the Challenges to Liberalism (Christman & Anderson (ed.), Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2005) e Personal Autonomy. New Essays on personal Autonomy and Its Role in Contemporary Moral Philosophy (J. Taylor (ed.), Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2005) mostra che molti autori del dibattito contemporaneo tendono a superare le questioni del determinismo e del libero arbitrio. A mio avviso, si tratta della mossa fondamentale per evidenziare le dimensioni della scelta individuale ed anche del ruolo della socializzazione nello sviluppo delle capacità di riflessione critica. Nel dibattito sull'autonomia vengono presentate diverse distinzioni concettuali. Quella che trovo fondamentale per la mia discussione è la distinzione fra autonomia "morale" e "personale". In generale, i teorici dell'autonomia personale che considererò nel mio contributo tentano di rendere conto dell'agire autonomo non solo nei termini delle condizioni dell'agire morale (secondo il modello classico kantiano). Questa mossa permette la considerazione di diversi livelli di ragionamento pratico che implicano diversi tipi di ragioni.