Professor Hugo Lafrenière is exploring this issue by delving into what it means to live an autonomous life. Through a new research project supported by an Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), he is investigating how this fundamental idea can help shape Canadian law.
Entitled “Taking Control of Your Life: Global Autonomy in Law and Philosophy,” the project brings together legal scholars and philosophers to examine one of the law's most fundamental questions: what does it mean for individuals to truly direct the course of their own lives and destinies?
Over the next two years, the interdisciplinary project will investigate the philosophical foundations of what scholars call global autonomy – the idea that autonomy concerns a person's life as a whole, rather than just their isolated decisions. The research will then apply these insights to contemporary legal issues, exploring how courts and lawmakers can better understand and protect this broader conception of autonomy.
The project will examine how global autonomy can inform legal debates surrounding issues like medical assistance in dying, criminal sentencing and privacy rights. By bringing philosophical analysis into conversation with legal doctrine, the research aims to clarify how Canadian law protects individuals' ability to determine the course of their own lives and identify new approaches to emerging legal and policy challenges.
Professor Lafrenière will lead the project as principal investigator in collaboration with Professor Natalie Stoljar (McGill University), with doctoral student Jingzhi Chen contributing to the project's research and leadership activities.
SSHRC Insight Development Grants support research in its initial stages, enabling the development of new research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches and ideas.
Congratulation to Professor Lafrenière and his research team!