Full Idea
Universal self-ownership fails to ensure autonomy, since it tends to produce proletarians, who lack it.
Gist of Idea
Plenty of people have self-ownership, but still lack autonomy
Source
G.A. Cohen (Are Freedom and Equality Compatible? [1986], 3)
Book Reference
'Contemporary Political Philosophy (2nd ed)', ed/tr. Goodin,RE/Pettit,P [Blackwell 2006], p.423
A Reaction
The implication is that autonomy is not a property of individuals but a social phenomenon. Self-owning people can still be imprisoned. What about autonomy without self-ownership? A bright slave who is given extensive responsibility?