Kant's concept that moral agents create their own moral laws through reason, rather than having them imposed by external authorities. It represents the autonomy of the rational will in determining moral obligations.
From Old English 'self' and Latin 'legislatio'. Kant coined this concept (autonomy) to contrast with heteronomy, where moral laws come from outside sources. It became central to his vision of human dignity and freedom.
Self-legislation means you can't escape moral responsibility by saying 'I was just following orders' - because ultimately, you chose to accept those orders as valid! It makes every person a moral philosopher whether they realize it or not.
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