How can public efforts to influence behavior be consistent with personal autonomy according to communitarians?

Communitarians argue that public efforts to influence behavior are consistent with personal autonomy because they reject the liberal assumption that individual preferences are inherently autonomous. Instead, they posit that personal preferences are socially constructed and often shaped by external, nonrational forces such as commercial advertising.1

Because individual identity is deeply embedded within culture and social relations, communitarians contend that preferences are not purely independent choices. Consequently, when public authorities encourage beneficial behaviors—such as campaigns against smoking or obesity—they are not undermining autonomy or violating human dignity. Rather, these efforts are viewed as legitimate interventions that help individuals navigate influences that might otherwise distort their true interests. By addressing these social factors, communitarians believe they are fostering a society where individuals can find both a rich web of social relations and meaningful freedom.213