Matthew Henson. On April 6, 1909, Matthew Henson stood atop the world with Robert Peary as co-discoverer of the North Pole. When Henson descended from the frigid north his reception was distinctly cool, even in contrast to Peary's less than wholesale embrace by the American public.
Autonomy refers to a personâs right to self-management in terms of his conduct and affairs. Its literal meaning comes from the Greek word âautonomosâ with âautoâ meaning âselfâ and ânomosâ meaning âlawâ. Autonomy also defines a personâs right to make decisions on his own and not be forced or manipulated by anybody else.
Autonomy can be defined as the ability of the person to make his or her own decisions. This faith in autonomy is the central premise of the concept of informed consent and shared decision making. This idea, while considered essential to today's practice of medicine, was developed in the last 50 years.