Concept in Definition ABC

Heteronomy is a technical term that is used mainly in the field of Philosophy, especially at the behest of ethics and which was introduced by the philosopher Immanuel Kant with the aim of naming the will that is not determined by the reason of the individual, but rather for issues unrelated to this, among them: the wills of others, the different things with which we interact in the world, the will of God and the sensitivity.

The word has a Greek origin, from the word heteronomous, which means dependent on another. So, heteronomy assumes that conduct of an individual is not controlled by his own conscience but for something external to it, thus renouncing any action moral self determined; Kant devised this concept as opposed to autonomy.

According to Kant's Philosophy, the will can be determined by two principles: reason or inclination. Then, when it comes to reason directing the way of acting of the will, it will be said that it is autonomous, but on the contrary, when it is the inclination, the sensitive appetites of man, which determines the behavior of the will, we will be in a position to speak of a will heteronomous.

For Kant, contrary to what anyone could think of a scenario in which there is indeed a Liberty to act, in reality, for him, the fact that someone follows what the desires, the appetites command does not imply freedom, because his realization would only be possible by accepting the demands and contingencies proposed by the external world, obviously something outside the Will.
The situation is clearer with an example, if a person will be considered fulfilled on a personal level once a social recognition has been obtained, her behavior, in order to Obtaining it should not be constant, but rather should oscillate between the different demands that the moving social order sometimes proposes, because for example it must change from political party, of friends, of ideology, desires, tastes, among other issues to achieve your goal.