Jan-R Sieckmann is Professor of Public Law in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law of the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.

• 1 The Idea of Autonomy 1.1 The Paradox of Autonomy 1.2 Autonomy and Authority 1.3 The Logic of Autonomy 1.4 Central Issues in a Theory of Autonomous Reasoning 2 Normative Language 2.1 A Framework for Autonomous Reasoning 2.2 Norms, Normative Arguments, Judgements and Statements 2.3 The Non-Propositionality Thesis 2.4 The Logic of Normative Argument 2.5 Conclusion 3 The Concept of Normative Arguments 3.1 Structure of Normative Arguments 3.2 Argument for the Reiteration of Requirements for Validity 3.3 Objections and Problems 3.4 Conclusion 4 The Justification of Norms 4.1 Structure of Normative Justification 4.2 Procedural Elements of Normative Justification 4.3 Substantive Elements of Normative Justification 4.4 Conclusion 5 Autonomous Balancing 5.1 Conceptions of Balancing 5.2 The Model of Optimisation 5.3 Criteria of Balancing 5.4 The Indeterminacy of Balancing 5.5 Conclusion 6 Claims to Correctness, Validity and Objectivity 6.1 Claims to Correctness 6.2 Claim to Correctness of Autonomous Judgements 6.3 Claims to Definitive Validity 6.4 Claims to Objective Validity 6.5 Conclusion 7 Rights 7.1 The Structure of Rights 7.2 A System of Rights 7.3 The Balancing of Rights 7.4. Conclusion 8 Autonomy Rights, Human Rights and Fundamental Rights 8.1 The Idea of Universal Rights 8.2 Justification of Human Rights 8.3 Fundamental Rights 8.4 Conclusion 9 Legal Validity 9.1 Law as a Binding Public Order 9.2 Conceptions of Legal Validity 9.3 Authoritative Character of Law 9.4 Legal and Moral Validity 9.5 Conclusion 10 Legal Interpretation and Autonomous Reasoning 10.1 Balancing, Interpretation and the Authoritative Structure of Law 10.2 Concept of Interpretation 10.3 Structure of Legal Interpretation 10.4 Competence and Legal Interpretation 10.5 Conclusion 11 The Autonomy of Legal Systems 11.1 Concept of a Legal System 11.2 Types of Intersystemic Relation 11.3 Definitions and General Theses 12 Conclusion Appendix: Symbols, Key Notions and Rules of Argumentation