"Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing." John Stuart Mill explicitly describes the necessity of autonomy or free will in society to insure the happiness of all. From this perspective one can recognize that autonomy should not only be unconditionally allowed, but also as an aspect of man that was developed along with the ability to reason. In accordance with the natural evolution of man as a rationale being, to limit one's autonomy would be to deny the very ability that has allowed man's development to occur. Although the topic of autonomy is prevalent in the field of psychology, the ramifications of limits to, spread throughout all aspects of society as a whole.

There have been criticisms to the necessity of autonomy from the beginning of philosophical thought. However, it can be recognized that these criticisms are often developed with a limited viewpoint. One such critic, B.F. Skinner who stressed the influence of the environment over the individual, argued against a

In addition, Mill supported the belief that, "Each is the proper guardian of his own heath, whether bodily or mental and spiritual." Therefore, by limiting autonomy the assumption would have to be made that the individual no longer has the ability to be the guardian of themselves. This concept can not be universally applied; independent of the structure of government in a particular society, because of the agreement that man is a rational being.

With the negation of autonomy, comes the negation of reason and responsibility of man. Despite any argument for the need for control over society through limitations of autonomy, the natural instincts to choose freely in daily life will still persist.

In contrast, Skinner felt that by not limiting mankind's autonomy, all could be then held accountable for their actions and consequently punished. "That view...must be re-examined when a scientific analysis reveals unsuspected controlling relations between behavior and environment."

Without attempting to disprove the interaction between man and his environment, Skinner's argument can still be proved to be incorrect when attempting to limit man's autonomy. Although in a given situation a person may come to

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Approximate Word count = 818
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)