ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the feminist approach of relational autonomy. It argues against both decisional conceptions of autonomy, which are based on informed consent, and libertarian conceptions of autonomy. These conceptions fail to explain the ways in which gender norms and oppressive social conditions potentially hamper the development of autonomy skills and affect women’s decision-making. The chapter also examines the notions of adaptive preference and exploitation in the light of relational autonomy. It concludes that decisional and libertarian conceptions are inadequate to capture feminist moral concerns and that the ethical principle that should be employed in bioethics is respect for relational autonomy. The chapter also briefly discusses a possible objection, that the principle of respect for relational autonomy is too demanding to be practicable in healthcare contexts.
