Agency (philosophy)

About: Agency (philosophy) is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 10461 publications have been published within this topic receiving 350831 citations. The topic is also known as: Thought & Human agency.

In search of the unique aspects of hope: Pinning our hopes on positive emotions, future-oriented thinking, hard times, and other people

Abstract: We have three sets of concerns about Snyder's hope formulation as it is presented in the target article. First, the lack of integration with several closely related constructs and well-validated theoretical frameworks that examine similar processes is problematic for several reasons. Second, the cognitive conceptualization of hope seems to be missing some of the central and defining positive emotional aspects of hope, and the hope model does not correspond well to current research on the role of emotion in self-regulation. Third, several other aspects of Snyder's approach, such as its relative neglect of beliefs about the future, its emphasis on individual agency and problems that are amenable to personal control, its portrayal ofhope as fragile, and its relative neglect of interpersonal aspects of hope, seem to correspond poorly to the nature of hope and thus to unnecessarily limit the concept and the situations to which it can be applied. Addressing such questions is essential to developing a more complete account of nature and function of hope and to further developing of the promising interventions described in the target article.

A model for study of teacher agency for social justice

Abstract: Internationally teachers are called upon to act as agents of change. However, there is little clarity about the kind of change teachers are expected to contribute to and even less empirical evidence about the ways teacher agency operates in schools and beyond. Empirical analyses of teacher agency require a clear articulation of the purpose and content of such agency in relation to a particular aspect of change, which could then help us specify appropriate units of analysis and generate hypotheses based on the insights provided by previous research. This paper articulates a model for study of teacher agency as a process whereby teachers act strategically to transform the risks of exclusion and underachievement into inclusion and improved outcomes for all students in contexts of cultural and social diversity. The model is guided by social theories of human agency within social structures and cultures, applied to the empirical insights into teachers’ inclusive practices. Potentially appropriate units of anal...

Responsibility and Fault

Abstract: These highly original essays develop themes implicit in Herbert Hart and the author's Causation in the Law (2nd ed. 1985). Why should we be held responsible for the harm we cause? Honore proposes a theory of responsibility,'outcome responsibility', according to which, to be responsible, it is sufficient to have intervened in the world. To act and to be responsible is to assume certain risks, so that responsibility can be a matter of luck rather than fault or merit. Whether responsibility carries with it moral blame or legal liability is an important but secondary question. With the help of this theory he explains the moral basis of strict liability and of tort law in general; shows when there is a moral difference between positive acts and omissions; and indicates the extent to which the circumstances that cause a wrongdoer to do wrong should affect his responsibility. In 2001, writing in the Neue Juristische Wochenschrift Professor Reinhard Zimmermann selected Responsibility and Fault as one the foreign law books of the year, stressing that the argument that responsibility can be independent of fault would be especially interesting to German lawyers. From reviews of the hardback edition: "the essays present and defend the author's influential philosophical framework for the understanding of responsibility, and clarify its relation to, .. the law of torts and criminal law. The style throughout is elegant and often witty, and complex arguments...are developed with enviable lucidity." -Roderick Bagshaw (Law Quarterly Review) "Honore is never less than interesting and provocative. This splendid collection of essays can be strongly recommended to anyone interested in legal philosophy or in the moral dimensions of agency and responsibility." - R.A. Duff ( Philosophical Quarterly) "a marvellous collection of essays" William Lucy (Professional Negligence) "...it is a joy to read" -Dennis Klimchuk (Mind)

Reason and Morality

Abstract: "Most modern philosophers attempt to solve the problem of morality from within the epistemological assumptions that define the dominant cultural perspective of our age. Alan Gewirth's "Reason and Morality" is a major work in this ongoing enterprise. Gewirth develops, with patience and skill, what he calls a 'modified naturalism' in which morality is derived by logic alone from the concept of action. . . . I think that the publication of "Reason and Morality" is a major event in the history of moral philosophy. It develops with great power a new and exciting position in ethical naturalism. No one, regardless of philosophical stance, can read this work without an enlargement of mind. It illuminates morality and agency for all." E. M. Adams, "The Review of Metaphysics" "This is a fascinating study of an apparently intractable problem. Gewirth has provided plenty of material for further discussion, and his theory deserves serious consideration. He is always aware of possible rejoinders and argues in a rigorous manner, showing a firm grasp of the current state of moral and political philosophy." "Mind ""

What's the Use of 'Well-Being' in Contexts of Child Poverty? Approaches to Research, Monitoring and Children's Participation

Abstract: Monitoring, protecting and promoting 'well-being' are central to realisation of children's rights. Yet definitions of the concept are both variable and can appear conceptually confused. Competing research paradigms engage with the concept and its measurement, while applications of well-being in policy are equally contested. This paper outlines some of the major debates, as a starting point for reviewing three contrasting approaches to well-being: indicator-based, participatory, and longitudinal research. In particular, it focuses on applications of the concept in contexts of child poverty worldwide. We suggest there are some promising signs of integration amongst these approaches, and argue that well-being does have potential as a bridging concept, at the same time highlighting inequalities, acknowledging diversity, and respecting children's agency. Drawing on the experience of Young Lives, a 15 year, four-country longitudinal study of child poverty, we suggest that methods for studying child well-being in global contexts should be dynamic and sensitive to culture and time, as well as to the trade-offs that children are required to make between themselves and others. We argue that dynamic approaches are especially important in research with children as they address how people change in time. Well-being is understood by Young Lives to be about real people and the social contexts they inhabit. It can act as a lens - similar to culture - which recognises that outcomes of deprivation are influenced by children and their responses to and interpretation of events. Accessing children's views in the context of their communities is important and can increase the accuracy and credibility of research data. Crucially, well-being research also foregrounds subjective meanings and experiences, and provides the background for interpreting 'best interests'. While shared visions for well-being can set parameters of acceptability and underpin basic entitlements, detailed specification must be negotiable, especially taking account of the views of the principal stakeholders, namely children, their caregivers and others centrally concerned with their lives.