Self-Regarding Duties, Autonomous Living, and Body Modification

The present contribution argues that there is not much, if anything, we must refrain from doing to our own bodies in order to discharge our self-regarding duties in that regard. Actually, self-regarding duties will sometimes positively support body modification – even extreme ones. This means that self-regarding duties of the sort related to what one may or may not do to one’s own body do not involve the sort of liberty-restrictions one may initially be inclined to assume they do. Our conduct is, to be sure, restricted by pro tanto self-regarding duties pertaining to capacities for autonomy and keeping one’s array of options adequate. Nevertheless, because autonomous living is more important than having the capacities to act autonomously and/or having adequate options, it is permissible for us to limit the latter to a significant degree or perhaps even destroy them completely as long as the life we live is an autonomous one.