Liberty and Individual Autonomy: To the Question of Private Space

Abstract

The article examines freedom and autonomy of the individual in connection with the right to private space, which arose in European societies of the New Age in connection with the processes of urbanization and individualization. The condition of the existence of privacy is the presence of an autonomous, in need of own physical and mental space of the individual and society, recognizing his right to his physical and psychological integrity and autonomy as the right to make their own decisions regarding their own lives. The ability to make such decisions runs counter to the attitudes of paternalism, according to which it is possible to interfere with the decisions of the individual if it is supposed to be for his benefit. Caring for an individual is assessed differently in different cultural contexts. In societies where respect for freedom and the dignity of the individual is a priority, it can be perceived as interfering with and degrading the private sphere. The preferred social distance in the public sphere is to give a person the freedom and the opportunity to make his own choices and be responsible for him. The right to private space implies that everyone can determine his own destiny and autonomous in their decisions.