Functional Civility: A Case for Reevaluating the Importance of Public Sphere Interpersonal Relationships in Promoting the Autonomy and Welfare of Individuals

Abstract

Traditional arguments in favor of privacy appear to presuppose that the less individuals are constrained within the public sphere, the greater their private sphere freedoms will be. An implicit premise within such arguments is thus the idea that more individualism can be equated to more autonomy. However, what these arguments in favor of privacy appear to underestimate, is the importance of public sphere interpersonal interactions in promoting autonomy. While they do recognize the importance of private sphere interpersonal interactions in promoting autonomy––through close relationships––they fail to recognize that within the public sphere, an individual’s self-respect and self-esteem may oftentimes be at stake. Although this may appear to give way to a reason for dismissing such arguments, through the use of civility, we may be able to salvage an argument in favor of privacy while also recognizing the importance of public sphere interactions in promoting the autonomy of an individual.