Individual Autonomy in the Quest for Recongnition

Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition is characterized in the philosophical literature as a theory according to which the conditions of personal identity depend on the conditions of integration and cultural reproduction of the society. In the framework of this theory, the paper raises the question how the rational individual can become „the author of his/her own life”. According to the essay’s assumption, individual autonomy cannot be achieved through principles that are formed by monological thinking but only in the context of principles of justice which were crystallized as results of historical-sociological processes. However, the question arises: how can we (in context of the theory of recognition) establish the validity of universal moral norms which are necessary to realize individual autonomy.