A self-determination theory account of self-authorship: Implications for law and public policy
| dc.cclicence | CC-BY-NC-ND | en |
| dc.contributor.author | Arvanitis, Alexios | en |
| dc.contributor.author | Kalliris, Konstantinos | en |
| dc.date.acceptance | 2017-01-23 | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-11-01T14:39:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-11-01T14:39:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2017-04-04 | |
| dc.description | The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Self-authorship has been established as the basis of an influential liberal principle of legislation and public policy. Being the author of one’s own life is a significant component of one’s own well-being, and therefore is better understood from the viewpoint of the person whose life it is. However, most philosophical accounts, including Raz’s conception of self-authorship, rely on general and abstract principles rather than specific, individual psychological properties of the person whose life it is. We elaborate on the principles of self-authorship on the basis of self-determination theory, an empirically based psychological theory that has been at the forefront of the study of autonomy and self-authorship for more than 45 years. Our account transcends distinctions between positive and negative freedom and attempts to pinpoint the exact properties of self-authorship within the psychological processes of intrinsic motivation and internalization. If a primary objective of public policy is to support self-authorship, then it should be devised on the basis of how intrinsic motivation and internalization can be properly supported. Self-determination theory identifies three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The satisfaction of these needs is associated with the support and growth of intrinsic tendencies and the advancement of well-being. Through this analysis, we can properly evaluate the significance of rationality, basic goods, and the availability of options to self-authorship. Implications for law and policy are discussed with an emphasis on legal paternalism and what many theorists call “liberal perfectionism,” that is, the non-coercive support and promotion of the good life. | en |
| dc.funder | N/A | en |
| dc.identifier.citation | Arvanitis, A. and Kalliris, K. (2017) A self-determination theory account of self-authorship: Implications for law and public policy, Philosophical Psychology, 30 (6), pp. 763-783 | en |
| dc.identifier.doi | https://doi.org/10.1080/09515089.2017.1307333 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0951-5089 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2086/17002 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en |
| dc.peerreviewed | Yes | en |
| dc.projectid | N/A | en |
| dc.publisher | Taylor & Francis | en |
| dc.researchinstitute | Centre for Law, Justice and Society | en |
| dc.title | A self-determination theory account of self-authorship: Implications for law and public policy | en |
| dc.type | Article | en |