Learning Analytics (LA)-based feedback applications are becoming increasingly important in higher education institutions (HEIs). However, the impact of such systems on student autonomy is contested in parts of the research debate, where hopes and ambitions of learner autonomy and self-regulated learning are confronted with fears that learners are being reduced to mere numeric constructs and are caught up in neoliberal demands to self-optimize. We explore these challenges from the debate with a focus on automated, LA feedback (...) systems in HEIs and their impact on student autonomy. As we show, such technologies must be seen within a field of tension between heteronomous (i.e., contextual and societal) demands and autonomous, self-organized learning. Aiming to bridge the critical parts of the debate with those that highlight the potential of such technologies, we build upon meaningful conceptions of limited, situated autonomy and explore what it would mean for such feedback systems to strengthen, not undermine student autonomy. To make the concept of student autonomy applicable, we propose a list of philosophical design considerations for LA-based feedback systems. We believe that this will offer a philosophically informed intellectual tool to address common concerns raised by parts of the debate and that it can encourage further discussion on recognizing, promoting, and preserving student autonomy in higher education. (shrink)

Autonomy has been the central principle underpinning changes which have affected the practice of medicine in recent years. Medical education is undergoing changes as well, many of which are underpinned, at least implicitly, by increasing concern for autonomy. Some universities have embarked on graduate courses which utilize problem-based learning (PBL) techniques to teach all areas, including medical ethics. I argue that PBL is a desirable method for teaching and learning in medical ethics. It is desirable because (...) the nature of ethical enquiry is highly compatible with the learning processes which characterize PBL. But it is also desirable because it should help keep open the question of what autonomy really is, and how it should operate within the sphere of medical practice and medical education. (shrink)

This article assesses how autonomy and machine learning impact the existential risk of nuclear war. It situates the problem of cyber security, which proceeds by stealth, within the larger context of nuclear deterrence, which is effective when it functions with transparency and credibility. Cyber vulnerabilities poses new weaknesses to the strategic stability provided by nuclear deterrence. This article offers best practices for the use of computer and information technologies integrated into nuclear weapons systems. Focusing on nuclear command and (...) control, avoiding autonomy and machine learning is recommended as one means to reduce the existential risk of unintended nuclear conflict. (shrink)

Higher education institutions are increasingly relying on learning analytics to collect voluminous amounts of data ostensibly to inform student learning interventions. The use of learning analytics, however, can result in a tension between the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) principles of autonomy and non-malfeasance on the one hand, and the principle of beneficence on the other. Given the complications around student privacy, informed consent, and data justice in addition to the potential (...) to do harm, many current practices around learning analytics within higher education can be considered to be in violation of CAS standards. This paper aims to explore this tension in greater detail and argues that the student voice offers a promising way to ensure that students’ autonomy is respected, harm is reduced, and that higher education institutions can still fulfil the principle of beneficence. (shrink)

This study investigated situational changes in learners’ degree of autonomous regulation during other-initiated learning activities and examined the influence of the instructional style on such changes. To this end, relative autonomous motivation of 172 fifth to seventh grade students was measured before, during and after execution of a musical learning activity. It was experimentally manipulated whether students were instructed in an autonomy-supportive or a controlling style. As expected based on self-determination theory and the action-based model of cognitive (...) dissonance, relative autonomous motivation increased in the course of the execution of the learning activity. Unexpectedly, this increase was only statistically significant when students were instructed in a controlling style. At all times though, students instructed in an autonomy-supportive style were more autonomously motivated than students instructed in a controlling style. Furthermore, results showed a positive effect of an autonomy-supportive instructional style on students’ functional state and their interest in continuing with the learning activity. The pattern of changes in relative autonomous motivation might indicate that in controlling conditions a reduction of dissonance is of functional importance, which is why relative autonomous motivation increased under controlling conditions but not under autonomy-supportive conditions. In an applied perspective, the study demonstrates that executing an activity might be beneficial for fostering autonomous motivation and it corroborates findings that indicate positive effects of an autonomy-supportive instructional style on students’ motivation and functional state. (shrink)

Despite strong evidence that autonomy enhances motivation and achievement, few interventions for promoting student autonomy in higher education have been developed and empirically tested. Here, we demonstrate how two autonomy-supportive policies effectively increase classroom attendance and subject mastery. First, in a randomized controlled field study, we explored the effect of allowing students to choose whether to make their attendance mandatory (i.e., a component of their course grades). We found that nearly all students used the opportunity as a (...) pre-commitment device and were subsequently more likely to attend class than were students whose attendance had been mandated. Second, in a multi-year cohort study, we explored the effect of allowing students to opt out of a challenging, high-effort assessment stream, finding that students given greater autonomy invested more effort into their assignments and attained greater proficiency with the material. We discuss other opportunities for applying choice architecture to improve learning, motivation, and well-being in higher education. (shrink)

In the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), much empirical research has investigated learner and teacher autonomy, agency, and identity. Yet, little prior research has...

Understanding how biological organisms are autonomous—maintain themselves far from equilibrium through their own activities—requires understanding how they regulate those activities. In multicellular animals, such control can be exercised either via endocrine signaling through the vasculature or via neurons. In C. elegans this control is exercised by a well-delineated relatively small but distributed nervous system that relies on both chemical and electric transmission of signals. This system provides resources to integrate information from multiple sources as needed to maintain the organism. Especially (...) important for the exercise of neural control are neuromodulators, which we present as setting agendas for control through more traditional electrical signaling. To illustrate how the C. elegans nervous system integrates multiple sources of information in controlling activities important for autonomy, we focus on feeding behavior and responses to adverse conditions. We conclude by considering how a distributed nervous system without a centralized controller is nonetheless adequate for autonomy. (shrink)

This paper provides an analysis of the way in which two foundational principles of medical ethics–the trusted doctor and patient autonomy–can be undermined by the use of machine learning (ML) algorithms and addresses its legal significance. This paper can be a guide to both health care providers and other stakeholders about how to anticipate and in some cases mitigate ethical conflicts caused by the use of ML in healthcare. It can also be read as a road map as (...) to what needs to be done to achieve an acceptable level of explainability in an ML algorithm when it is used in a healthcare context. (shrink)

Lyotard defines being postmodern as an ‘incredulity toward metanarratives’. Such incredulity includes, in particular, skepticism vis-à-vis Enlightenment ideals like autonomy. Motivated by such skepticism, several educational scholars put into question education for autonomy as it is practiced in the formal settings of national school systems. More specifically, they criticize that practices of autonomy education can have certain normalizing and ideological e￿ects that undermine the aim of creating autonomous subjects. This article examines these critiques of education for (...) class='Hi'>autonomy and argues that they are best understood as calls for reforming educational practices, and not as outright rejections of education for autonomy. Thus, since the allegedly ‘postmodern’ critiques of autonomy education cannot be plausibly understood as radical ruptures with Enlightenment ideals, the article concludes that these critiques represent (merely) constructive self-critical reflections on what Habermas dubbed the ‘unfinished project of modernity’. (shrink)

The literature on autonomous language learning reveals both, scholars’ great enthusiasm for the revolutionary potential of learner autonomy as well as pessimism for its continual depoliticization within higher education. Similar to how ‘learner autonomy’ is still today an unfinished construct that raises considerable confusion among scholars, the critical theory of learner autonomy in the field of language learning remains largely unexplored; and thus, yet to be fully articulated. Building on the relevant literature, this article attempts (...) to provide a coherent and nuanced theoretical framework for the critical practice of learner autonomy in higher education. Results show how the field of language learning is dominated by uncritical and apolitical approaches that render learner autonomy a politically impotent practice. Critical autonomous language learning must be both critically aware—so it can raise students’ awareness of the structural and discursive constraints on their autonomy—and politically active—so it may lead to education reform and social change—, while also aiming at reaching the highest levels of institutional material support and student control possible. (shrink)

Advancements in machine learning have fuelled the popularity of using AI decision algorithms in procedures such as bail hearings, medical diagnoses and recruitment. Academic articles, policy texts, and popularizing books alike warn that such algorithms tend to be opaque: they do not provide explanations for their outcomes. Building on a causal account of transparency and opacity as well as recent work on the value of causal explanation, I formulate a moral concern for opaque algorithms that is yet to receive (...) a systematic treatment in the literature: when such algorithms are used in life-changing decisions, they can obstruct us from effectively shaping our lives according to our goals and preferences, thus undermining our autonomy. I argue that this concern deserves closer attention as it furnishes the call for transparency in algorithmic decision-making with both new tools and new challenges. (shrink)

This study makes an original contribution to knowledge by investigating the impact of Just-in-Time teaching and peer instruction strategies on the promotion of students’ achievement, interaction, and motivation in English language learning. Students were recruited from an undergraduate TESOL program in the first semester of 2019 at a University in Saudi Arabia. A multiple method research design was used to address the research questions robustly and rigorously. First, a two-group quasi-experimental design was implemented. In the first group, a lecture-based (...) strategy was used, while in the second group, JiT and PI strategies were used in English language lessons. An innovative research method was used in this study: a private Instagram account was created, serving as a platform through which teacher and students could communicate using interactive posts and comments. Second, students filled out a survey reflecting on this medium of language teaching and learning. Finally, focus group interviews were conducted to determine students’ views on the use of Instagram as an educational tool in terms of its flexibility and usefulness. The findings of the study suggest that JiT teaching, and PI promoted students’ achievement and enhanced students’ motivation, particularly in relation to fluency and novelty in the second language. Furthermore, students viewed Instagram as a successful educational tool that significantly facilitated their collaboration. Nevertheless, this study also highlights the challenges of using JiT teaching and PI to facilitate language learning. Suggestions for practitioners are specified; including providing adequate e-learning tools for students to enhance language learning motivation and achievement. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to introduce a correction into the notion of self-directed adult learning by way of conjoining it with philosophically elaborated notions of autonomy, self-reflectiveness, and maturity. The basic premise of this intervention is that in andragogical theorizing, learners’ self-directedness ought not to be thought as obvious and thus beyond question. Since adult selves are not transparent but socially, culturally, and discoursively constructed, adult educators are encouraged to think of themselves as facilitators of adult (...) learners’ self-awareness and self-directedness in their learning processes. Adult learners need to be assisted in developing critical skills that can be used to eliminate distortions in their perception of social reality, in understanding their own personalities, their needs and decisions concerning continuing education. The problematization of the concept of human autonomy amid external influences, is first discussed in Immanuel Kant’s idea of maturity as an ability to use one’s understanding without guidance from another. I then turn to Habermas’s philosophy of communicative action and three knowledge-constitutive interests where the human interest in emancipation comes to the fore. Its significance for critical adult learning is further emphasized in line with Stephen Brookfield’s and Jack Mezirow’s association of self-directed learning with empowerment, understood as freeing consciousness from its dependence on hypostatized powers. Drawing on Foucault’s work, I argue that attaining the state of autonomy requires practice in “the care for oneself” which amounts to the lifelong endeavor to create and govern oneself and to learn how not to be governed. The agenda for adult education for citizenship opted for in this paper attributes essential significance to learnable skills of critical reasoning, deliberation, and self-reflectiveness which all operate within three proposed dimensions of adult education: experiential learning, literacy, and vocationalism. (shrink)

This study examined how artificial intelligence (AI) utilisation and self-directed learning (SDRL) influenced research productivity among postgraduate students in public universities in Cross River State, Nigeria. A predictive correlational design was adopted to address four research questions. The population comprised 6,522 postgraduate students from two universities, and a sample of 450 was drawn using stratified random sampling to ensure fair representation across gender, degree levels, and age groups. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire that measured AI utilisation, SDRL, (...) and research productivity, with high internal reliability (α > .80). Data were analysed using simple and hierarchical regression models. Findings revealed that AI utilisation significantly predicted SDRL (β = .32, p < .001) and research productivity (β = .23, p < .001). SDRL exerted a stronger influence on research productivity (β = .51, p < .001) and fully mediated the relationship between AI utilisation and productivity. The study concluded that AI tools contribute to higher research productivity mainly by fostering independent learning habits and motivation for self-directed inquiry. It was recommended that postgraduate curricula incorporate AI literacy, mentorship, and digital learning environments that encourage autonomy and sustained scholarly engagement. (shrink)

Critical thinking is often nominated as a graduate attribute, a learning outcome, and is even offered as a discrete subject in schools and universities. Therefore, it is important to gain clarity about the fundamental goal or purpose of critical thinking education. What should instructors be aiming at when they seek to instil critical thinking in their students? In this paper, we argue that the aim of critical thinking is the achievement and maintenance of intellectual autonomy. In setting out (...) our argument for this conclusion, we investigate the three most plausible candidates for the goal of critical thinking practice. The first such candidate is successful inquiry: inquiry that succeeds in obtaining epistemic goods such as knowledge, true belief, or empirically adequate explanation. The second candidate is epistemically virtuous inquiry, i.e. inquiry that exhibits the full range of epistemic virtues, including the skills and capacities needed to support them. The third candidate is intellectual autonomy. We develop an account of intellectual autonomy as a form of self-respect attached to one’s epistemic and intellectual life and argue that only intellectual autonomy in this sense does full justice to the practice of critical thinking. (shrink)

Autonomy is central to thinking about democracy and human needs, but the question of how autonomy relates to growth is ambivalent. Is growth necessary to achieve a basic level of autonomy, or is autonomy, in fact, a pre-requisite for post-growth? In this study, we examine this question by focusing on how critical autonomy relates to growth within the domains of democracy, education, and work. Critical autonomy is complex, but in its most fundamental form, it (...) is about making informed choices, which, in turn, are transformed by our social imaginaries. By using the concepts of critical autonomy and social imaginaries, our analysis suggests that (i) greater elements of direct democracy and participation, (ii) a more holistic education that integrates play with life-long learning and (iii) changes in the perception of work, along with increased workplace influence, would provide conditions for autonomy without requiring growth or contributing to it. We conclude our analysis by highlighting how social imaginaries and policy changes in the three domains – democracy, education and work – could be developed to realize critical autonomy in a post-growth society. (shrink)

In this chapter, I articulate the structure of a general concept of autonomy and then reply to possible objections with reference to Ulysses arrangements in psychiatry. The line of argument is as follows. Firstly, I examine three alternative conceptions of autonomy: value-neutral, value-laden, and relational. Secondly, I identify two paradigm cases of autonomy and offer a sketch of its concept as opposed to the closely related freedom of action and intentional agency. Finally, I explain away the (...) class='Hi'>autonomy paradox, to which the previously identified pair of paradigm cases seems to give rise in the context of mental disorder. By addressing this paradox, we learn two valuable lessons. The first is about the relationships between the three conceptions of autonomy above. The second is about the relationship between autonomy and mental disorder. (shrink)

This article theorizes compulsory autonomy as the discursive regime that sustains the cultural fantasy of autonomous Artificial intelligence (AI) by converting structural dependence into fixable anomalies (foreclosure) and rendering constitutive supports unthinkable (erasure). By this, I refer to a discourse governing human institutions and representations, not machines as dominated subjects. Adapting Judith Butler's account of foreclosure and Yu Matsuura's distinction between foreclosure and erasure from asexuality studies, alongside Bernard Stiegler's organological philosophy, I show how dominant AI narratives preempt the (...) legibility of ongoing human and material labor. A brief genealogy traces how autopoiesis traveled from biology and cybernetics into AI rhetoric, where it underwrites the misrecognition of heteronomous systems as self-producing. Illustratively, I read reporting on content moderation and Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) pipelines alongside Pasquinelli's history of ghost work to demonstrate how "autonomy" is performed atop distributed, often precarious labor. I advance the metaphor of the labored cognitive assemblage, outlining policy, design, and public literacy implications (e.g., disclosure norms and labor standards) that follow when dependence is theorized as intrinsic rather than transitional. Reframing autonomy in these terms redirects debates about AI's social futures toward accountability, maintenance, and care. (shrink)

BackgroundMachine learning-based clinical decision support systems (ML_CDSS) are increasingly employed in various sectors of health care aiming at supporting clinicians’ practice by matching the characteristics of individual patients with a computerised clinical knowledge base. Some studies even indicate that ML_CDSS may surpass physicians’ competencies regarding specific isolated tasks. From an ethical perspective, however, the usage of ML_CDSS in medical practice touches on a range of fundamental normative issues. This article aims to add to the ethical discussion by using professionalisation (...) theory as an analytical lens for investigating how medical action at the micro level and the physician–patient relationship might be affected by the employment of ML_CDSS.Main textProfessionalisation theory, as a distinct sociological framework, provides an elaborated account of what constitutes client-related professional action, such as medical action, at its core and why it is more than pure expertise-based action. Professionalisation theory is introduced by presenting five general structural features of professionalised medical practice: (i) the patient has a concern; (ii) the physician deals with the patient’s concern; (iii) s/he gives assistance without patronising; (iv) s/he regards the patient in a holistic manner without building up a private relationship; and (v) s/he applies her/his general expertise to the particularities of the individual case. Each of these five key aspects are then analysed regarding the usage of ML_CDSS, thereby integrating the perspectives of professionalisation theory and medical ethics.ConclusionsUsing ML_CDSS in medical practice requires the physician to pay special attention to those facts of the individual case that cannot be comprehensively considered by ML_CDSS, for example, the patient’s personality, life situation or cultural background. Moreover, the more routinized the use of ML_CDSS becomes in clinical practice, the more that physicians need to focus on the patient’s concern and strengthen patient autonomy, for instance, by adequately integrating digital decision support in shared decision-making. (shrink)

This chapter explains how severe cognitive impairment raises distinct normative and conceptual issues. It cites the importance of recognizing whether a person with an intellectual disability possesses or lacks autonomy. Context helps determine which of the notions of autonomy is most relevant to a problem, and can specify limits before a person's actions are judged to be autonomous. When we distinguish correctly the various complex conceptions of autonomy, we will realize these people have varieties of moral autonomies. (...) For example, using calculators or seeking information does not lessen their autonomy; on the other hand, they seem to be learning to become more independent human beings. The chapter notes that since many people with cognitive disabilities make use of such assistive technical devices, they are more autonomous in a certain sense than we want to assume. (shrink)

Background: Over the last decade, new healthcare policies are transforming healthcare practices towards independent living and self-care of older people and people with a chronic disease or disability within the community. For professional caregivers in home care, such as nurses, this requires a shift from a caring attitude towards the promotion of patient autonomy. Aim: To explore how nurses in home care deal with the transformation towards fostering patient autonomy and self-care. Research design and context: A case study (...) was conducted in a professional development course (‘learning circle’) for home care nurses, including participant observations and focus groups. The theoretical notion of ‘relational agency’ and the moral concept of ‘practices of responsibility’ were used to conduct a narrative analysis on the nurses’ stories about autonomy. Participants: Eight nurses, two coaches and two university lecturers who participated in the learning circle. Ethical considerations: Informed consent was sought at the start of the course and again, at specific moments during the course of the learning circle. Findings: Three main themes were found that expressed the moral demands experienced and negotiated by the nurses: adapting to the person, activating patients’ strengths and collaboration with patients and informal caregivers. Discussion: On a policy and organisational level, the moral discourse on patient autonomy gets intertwined with the instrumental discourse on healthcare budget savings. This is manifested in the ambiguities the nurses face in fostering patient autonomy in their daily home care practice. To support nurses, critical thinking, moral sensitivity and trans-professional working should be part of their professional development. Conclusion: The turn towards autonomy in healthcare raises moral questions about responsibilities for care. Promoting patient autonomy should be a collaborative endeavour and deliberation of patients, professional and informal caregivers together. (shrink)

Algorithms influence every facet of modern life: criminal justice, education, housing, entertainment, elections, social media, news feeds, work… the list goes on. Delegating important decisions to machines, however, gives rise to deep moral concerns about responsibility, transparency, freedom, fairness, and democracy. Algorithms and Autonomy connects these concerns to the core human value of autonomy in the contexts of algorithmic teacher evaluation, risk assessment in criminal sentencing, predictive policing, background checks, news feeds, ride-sharing platforms, social media, and election interference. (...) Using these case studies, the authors provide a better understanding of machine fairness and algorithmic transparency. They explain why interventions in algorithmic systems are necessary to ensure that algorithms are not used to control citizens' participation in politics and undercut democracy. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core. (shrink)

The authors interpret the data to mean that patients think that their physicians should make relevant decisions in Learning Health System based trials, and label that as being of 'utmost importance'. However, the patients themselves (in the excerpts provided) emphasize that trust in physicians is instrumental for obtaining protection of patient's bests interests (which seems to be of utmost importance for patients). Furthermore, the perceived bias regarding outcome certainty deserves more discussion. Namely, the decision to defer to physician's opinion (...) is linked to perceived certainty of best clinical outcomes and instrumental for protection of best interest, while it lacks appreciation of the level of uncertainty that exists in clinical decision-making. Finally, a discussion on what are the implications of patient perspectives for individual, vs. relational autonomy is something the authors don't pursue, but instead use "physician-patient autonomy" throughout the paper. (shrink)

How might artificial systems become sensitive to ethically relevant considerations? This chapter argues that the question we should ask is not “How can we build ethics into robots?” but rather “How can we build robots with a capacity for ethical learning?” It is evident from the continuing disagreement over overarching ethical theories that we do not know a set of consensus ethical principles with sufficient definiteness to “program” ethics into a machine. Recent research in artificial intelligence has shown the (...) power of general-purpose learning to acquire autonomous human-level competencies. Intriguingly, recent research in developmental psychology suggests that children may also acquire independent social and ethical competence via similar mechanisms. Instead of programing ethics into robots, this chapter proposes that artificial systems could gain ethical competence through general-purpose learning, comparable to infants learning human ethics in part by observing adult behavior. (shrink)

COVID-19 has turned many ethical principles and presuppositions upside down. More precisely, the principle of respect for autonomy has been shown to be ill suited to face the ethical challenges posed by the current health crisis. Individual wishes and choices have been subordinated to public interests. Patients have received trial therapies under extraordinary procedures of informed consent. The principle of respect for autonomy, at least in its mainstream interpretation, has been particularly questioned during this pandemic. Further reflection on (...) the nature and value of autonomy is urgently needed. Relational autonomy has been proposed as an alternative account of autonomy that can more adequately respond to contemporary ethical issues in general and to a pandemic such as the one we are currently facing in particular. As relational autonomy is an emerging notion in current bioethics, it requires further consideration and development to be properly operationalized. This paper aims to show how six different philosophical branches––namely, philosophy of nature, philosophical anthropology, existential phenomenology, discourse ethics, hermeneutics, and cultural anthropology––have incorporated the category of relation throughout the twentieth century. We first delve into primary philosophical sources and then apply their insights to the specific field of medical ethics. Learning from the historical developments of other philosophical fields may provide illumination that will enable bioethics to experience a successful “relational turn”, which has been partially initiated in contemporary bioethics but not yet achieved. (shrink)

This article discusses nurses’ and elderly patients’ perceptions of the realization of autonomy, privacy and informed consent in five European countries. Comparisons between the concepts and the countries indicated that both nurses and patients gave the highest ratings to privacy and the lowest to informed consent. There were differences between countries. According to the patient data, autonomy is best realized in Spain, privacy in the UK (Scotland), and informed consent in Finland. For the staff data, the best results (...) tended to concentrate in the UK. The conceptual and methodological limitations of the study are identified and discussed. Implications of the results are divided into three areas: nursing practice, education and research. In practice, the analysis of patients’ values and the ethical sensitivity of nurses are important as part of ethically good care. In nurse education, students should learn to recognize ethical problems, generally and particularly, among vulnerable groups of patients. Multicultural international research is needed in this area. This is the last of a set of five articles published together in this issue of Nursing Ethics in which the results of this comparative research project are presented. (shrink)

Natural learning is a countercultural home education approach characterized by the notion of freedom and autonomy in life and learning, intertwined in cultural environments. Using purposive sampling, two single parents from a “township” culture provided an in-depth understanding of natural learning in their context. A case study design was used to collect data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that home education is a viable space to embed learning and (...) culture and that educational spaces can be creatively transformed to reclaim and reaffirm culture. This study also amplifies the voices of the historically marginalized in home education research. (shrink)

In these learned essays, Joseph M. Levine shows how the idea and method of modern history first began to develop during the Renaissance, when a clear distinction between history and fiction was first proposed. The new claims for history were met by a new skepticism in a debate that still echoes today. Levine's first three essays discuss Thomas More's preoccupation with the distinction between history and fiction Erasmus's biblical criticism and the contribution of Renaissance philology to critical method and the (...) way in which Renaissance rhetoric, as in Thomas Elyot's Book of the Governor, continued to inhibit the autonomy of history. He then shows how these issues persisted into the eighteenth century, even as critical method developed. He concludes with a close description of the great controversy that culminated in Edward Gibbon's day over the authenticity of a biblical text that had been used for centuries to defend the Trinity but which turned out to be a forgery. Levine shows how by then all sides were ready to concede the autonomy of history. (shrink)

Service and personal care robots are starting to cross the threshold into the wilderness of everyday life, where they are supposed to interact with inexperienced lay users in a changing environment. In order to function as intended, robots must become independent entities that monitor themselves and improve their own behaviours based on learning outcomes in practice. This poses a great challenge to robotics, which we are calling the “autonomy-safety-paradox” (ASP). The integration of robot applications into society requires the (...) reconciliation of two conflicting aspects: increasing machine autonomy and ensuring safety in end-use. As the level of robot autonomy grows, the risk of accidents will increase, and it will become more and more difficult to identify who is responsible for any damage incurred. However, emphasizing safety impairs the autonomous functioning of the robot. This problem implies the need for a broadened concept of product safety. Our comparative study shows that the institutional framing of the ASP as well as concrete solutions to this problem differs between Europe and Japan in two respects: (1) the understanding of robot agency and (2) the concept of “appropriate” user–robot interaction. (shrink)

Second language (L2) autonomy is an integral part of L2 identity. The radical and large-scale contextual changes for L2 learning globalisation have brought an increasing multilingualism resulting in an emerging need to reconceptualise L2 autonomy, a notion coined in the 1980s. This chapter aims to meet this requirement by harnessing L2 autonomy with Hegelian philosophy. From a Hegelian perspective, L2 autonomy is dynamic, dialectical in development involving contradictions and struggles, intimately related to morality and politics, (...) and relies heavily on learners’ awareness of their surroundings and mutual recognition with others. L2 autonomy not only facilitates L2 learning but also performs political and moral functions, and enables learners to achieve freedom. The above features make the Hegelian perspective highly relevant for updating the conceptualisation of L2 autonomy in the context of globalisation. How L2 autonomy is related to the larger social environment beyond L2 learning should also be one of the goals for the implementation of L2 autonomy. Finally, because of the interpersonal, social, political, moral, and culture-specific nature of L2 autonomy, a negotiated approach is recommended for the nurturing of L2 autonomy. (shrink)

Many anticipatory systems cannot in themselves act meaningfully or represent intentionally. This stems largely from the derivative nature of their functionality. All current artificial control systems, and many living systems such as organs and cellular parts of organisms derive any intentionality they might have from their designers or possessors. Derivative functionality requires reference to some external autonomously functional system, and derivative intentionality similarly requires reference to an external autonomous intentional system. The importance of autonomy can be summed up in (...) the following slogan: No meaning without intention; no intention without function; no function without autonomy. This paper develops the role of autonomy to show how learning new tasks is facilitated by autonomy, and further by representational capacities that are functional for autonomy. (shrink)

Despite the growth of knowledge on teacher emotional tensions and identities, little research has explored how emotional tensions shape teacher identity development within teacher education courses. This study explored the contributions of a professional learning community (PLC) structured around sharing and discussing emotional tensions to eight Iranian English teachers’ identity (re)construction. In line with our theoretically-grounded proposed model of PLC – as settings in which individuals share ideas to expand their learning, data were collected before, during, and after (...) the PLC using semi-structured interviews and reflective journals over a four-month time span. Data analyses revealed that before the PLC, the teachers had problems in developing the identity of agentic teachers and in their interpersonal relationships with colleagues. During the PLC, they were able to develop collegial identities that facilitated embracing the course contents. After the course, the teachers experienced enhanced collaboration and agency-induced autonomy that enabled them to effectively manage emotional tensions. Collectively, the PLC helped the teachers in agentically exercising praxis in relation to their colleagues, practices, and relationships with students. Based on the findings, we provide implications for teachers to use their current potential to form PLCs and for teacher educators to systematize PLCs at the institutional level. (shrink)

Independent travels of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are severely limited, which impacts their social participation. This exploratory study gathers the point of view of professionals working in structures dedicated to the accompaniment of these people, in order to identify the characteristics of independent travels, but also the types of learning implemented by professionals. Results of these interviews show difficulties with social interactions and the mobilization of cognitive resources of people with ID. Concerning the environment, accessibility and reluctance of (...) relatives are major obstacles to mobility. However, early initiation, motivation and knowledge of the environment are factors, which facilitate the learning of independent mobility. (shrink)

In Paul Hirst’s later writings, he states that his earlier idea that ‘a good life is one of rational autonomy is both inadequate and mistaken’. Instead of rational autonomy, he argues that the main constituent of the good life is the satisfaction of needs and interests in relevant social practices; therefore, the main aim of education should be initiation into social practices. I concur with Hirst regarding the problematic nature of views that take the individual, rational, autonomous moral (...) subject as their educational starting point. Furthermore, like Hirst, I see that the problematic separation of moral thinking and action is embedded in these views. However, I disagree with Hirst regarding the justification of Aristotelian theory, on which he bases his new account. Instead, I defend a pragmatist justification for what I see as the most important dimension of Hirst’s later shift in thinking in his moral theory. Utilizing resources from such pragmatists as Charles S. Peirce, John Dewey, Israel Scheffler, and Nicholas Rescher, I outline an account in which there is no dichotomy between theoretical and practical reason: both reason and emotion belong to nature and work in collaboration, and moral thinking and action can be learned and improved in responsible social practices. (shrink)

Natural learning is a countercultural home education approach characterized by the notion of freedom and autonomy in life and learning, intertwined in cultural environments. Using purposive sampling, two single parents from a “township” culture provided an in-depth understanding of natural learning in their context. A case study design was used to collect data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that home education is a viable space to embed learning and (...) culture and that educational spaces can be creatively transformed to reclaim and reaffirm culture. This study also amplifies the voices of the historically marginalized in home education research. (shrink)

Publication date: 22 December 2020 Source: International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences Vol. 89 Author: Oleg Tarnopolsky, Marina Kabanova The article analyzes using Content and Language Integrated Learning for teaching one of the optional humanities disciplines to Ukrainian university students of different majors. The discipline discussed in the article as an example of using CLIL methodology is “The Fundamentals of Psychology and Pedagogy” and it is in the list of optional humanities subjects for the first-year students of Alfred (...) Nobel University in Dnipro, Ukraine. However, unlike the other optional humanities disciplines, the methodology underlying this course is based on teaching the subject in English, instead of Ukrainian, following the CLIL approach widely used in the European education but still little known in Ukraine. The purpose of the paper is to expose and analyze the original methodology developed that conditioned the specific structure of the relevant course, and the specific learning activities used in it. The essence of the developed CLIL theory-based methodology and its practical application are manifested through learning activities that include students’ mini-lectures/workshop-type presentations, brainstorming, case-studies, discussions, and a learning project with its results summarized in students’ essays, abstracts, and summaries written in English. The students collect the information required for completing their tasks not only from the teacher’s lectures and the recommended literature but also by way of doing extensive Internet-search on psychological and pedagogical sites in English. All this makes CLIL in the case under discussion experiential-interactive, blended, autonomous, and cooperative. As the result, students mostly self-construct their knowledge of the discipline by way of using the target language as the tool for such self-construction. This makes the elaborated course a clear-cut case of constructivism in CLIL pedagogy. Subject Classification Numbers: PACS 01.40.-d. (shrink)

Autonomy is a vital principle in medical law and ethics. It occupies a prominent place in all medico-legal and ethical debate. But there is a dangerous presumption that it should have the only vote, or at least the casting vote. This book is an assault on that presumption, and an audit of autonomy's extraordinary status. This book surveys the main issues in medical law, noting in relation to each issue the power wielded by autonomy, asking whether that (...) power can be justified, and suggesting how other principles can and should contribute to the law. It concludes that autonomy's status cannot be intellectually or ethically justified, and that positive discrimination in favour of the other balancing principles is urgently needed in order to avoid some sinister results. 'This book is a sustained attack on the hegemony of the idea of autonomy in medical ethics and law. Charles Foster is no respecter of authority, whether of university professors or of law Lords. He grabs his readers by their lapels and shakes sense into them through a combination of no-nonsense rhetoric and subtle argument that is difficult to resist.' Tony Hope, Professor of Medical Ethics, Oxford University 'This book is unlikely to be in pristine state by the time you have finished reading it. Whether that is because you have thrown it in the air in celebration or thrown it across the room in frustration will depend on your perspective. But this book cannot leave you cold. It is a powerful polemic on the dominance of autonomy in medical law, which demands a reaction. Charles Foster sets out a powerful case that academic medical lawyers have elevated autonomy to a status it does not deserve in either ethical or legal terms. In a highly engaging, accessible account, he challenges many of the views which have become orthodox within the academic community. This will be a book which demands and will attract considerable debate.' Jonathan Herring, Exeter College, Oxford University 'This is a learned, lively and thought-provoking discussion of problems central to the courts' approach to ethical issues in medical law. What principles are involved? More significantly, which really underlie and inform the process of seeking justice in difficult cases? Charles Foster persuasively argues, and demonstrates, that respect for autonomy is but one of a number of ethical principles which interact and may conflict. He also addresses the sensitive issue of the extent to which thoughts and factors which go to influence legal decisions may not appear in the judgments.' Adrian Whitfield QC. 'Introducing the Jake La Motta of medical ethics. Foster is an academic street-fighter who has bloodied his hands in the court room. He provides a stinging, relentless, ground attack on the Goliath of medical ethics: the central place of autonomy in liberal medical ethics. This is now the first port of call for those who feel that medical ethics has become autonomized.' Julian Savulescu, Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford. "This important book offers a robust challenge to anyone, whether lawyer or 'ethicist', who sees respect for autonomy as the only game in town. It argues eloquently and effectively that, on the one hand, despite the reverence paid to it by judges, in practice the law, even in the context of consent, weaves together a number of moral threads of which autonomy is merely one, in the pursuit of a good decision. It argues on the other hand, that were the day-to-day practice of law to be guided primarily by respect for autonomy, this would be wrong. Foster concludes that whilst, 'any society that does not have laws robustly protecting autonomy is an unsafe and unhappy one', so too would be a society in which too much emphasis was placed on respect for autonomy at the expense of other important moral principles. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the role of autonomy and indeed of medical ethics, in the law." Michael Parker, Professor of Bioethics, University of Oxford. (shrink)

Epistemic limitations concerning prediction and explanation of the behaviour of robots that learn from experience are selectively examined by reference to machine learning methods and computational theories of supervised inductive learning. Moral responsibility and liability ascription problems concerning damages caused by learning robot actions are discussed in the light of these epistemic limitations. In shaping responsibility ascription policies one has to take into account the fact that robots and softbots - by combining learning with autonomy, (...) pro-activity, reasoning, and planning - can enter cognitive interactions that human beings have not experienced with any other non-human system. (shrink)

This paper has two goals, one narrower and one wider. The limited goal is to address an interpretive dispute over the Genealogy’s description of the “sovereign individual,” a character type whose features bear on Nietzsche’s distinctive conceptions of conscience, promising, and what it is to take responsibility for oneself. The wider goal is to characterize Nietzschean autonomy. The basic idea is that the meaning of the sovereign individual emerges clearly in light of a distinction from Bernard Williams between two (...) senses of responsibility—one tied to voluntary action, the other to an ambitious conception of responsible agency. What we learn from Williams about responsibility then illuminates Nietzschean autonomy, which is understood as a matter of overcoming psychological weakness by unifying the self. (shrink)

Abstract: Humans, because they are self-conscious, have the capacity to take control over their own behaviour in a way that non-self-conscious entities, such as the local cow, do not. However, if we do not clearly understand how humans can do this, we will never be able to fully activate that potential. In what is to follow, the change in the value dynamic will be traced from the initial position in which humans respond - like any animate being - to the (...) values in their environment, to the emergence of learned responses as a function of purposeful reinforcement, to the emergence of ‘self-control’ in which selfconscious language-users borrow values from significant others, and finally to the emergence of genuine autonomy, when selfconscious agents are able to free their practical judgements from external influence by thinking through value issues impartially. Since thinking through an issue impartially is the sine qua non mark of philosophical thinking, it would appear that learning how to think philosophically is of particular importance to agents who wish to maximise their potential for autonomy. (shrink)