Der Spannungsbogen von Autonomie und Verletzlichkeit. Eine phänomenologisch-anthropologische Reflexion

A phenomenological approach to anthropology should not propose a static definition ofman, but inquire into specific human motivations, which never occur isolated. Therefore,the autonomy-dependency connection is presented as a possible human motivationalground. The notion of autonomy, presented with reference to the Kantian idea of theself-determining reason and to the Husserlian account of self-constitution, reveals in itselfelements of dependency. On the other side, the notion of vulnerability and relianceis displayed through different approaches of Gehlen, MacIntyre and Toombs in order toillustrate dependency not as a mere capitulation of the subject, but as one of its intrinsicpossibilities, which does not exclude autonomous will.