ABSTRACT
As the discussion of the preceding chapter indicates, assertions about the value of autonomy are often problematic. They are problematic because they concern the kind of value autonomy has and why it is something we value, and not just how much value autonomy has when weighed against competing goods. These questions are frequently conflated. In asking what happens when the presumed right to autonomy is tested against competing goods, such as personal contentment, well-being, or political security, we might overlook the fact that we are comparing goods that are valued for different reasons.
