Understanding Agency: Social Theory and Responsible ActionIn this penetrating and assured book, one of the leading commentators in the field argues that social theory is moving in the wrong direction in its reflections on human freedom and autonomy. It has borrowed notions of 'agency' and 'choice' from everyday discourse, but increasingly it puts a misconceived individualistic gloss upon them. Against this, Barnes unequivocally identifies human beings as social agents in a profound sense, and emphasises the vital importance of their sociability. Notions of 'agency', 'freedom' and 'choice' have to be understood by reference to their role in communicative interaction; they are key components of the discourse through which human beings identify each other, and have effects upon each other, as soci |
Contents
EVERYDAY DISCOURSE | 3 |
CHOICE AND AGENCY IN SOCIAL THEORY | 17 |
A BRIEF DIGRESSION ON ATTRIBUTION | 34 |
ON INDIVIDUALISM IN SOCIAL THEORY | 47 |
TRANSCENDING INDIVIDUALISM | 64 |
SPECULATIONS AND EVALUATIONS | 79 |
AGENCY AND RESPONSIBILITY IN SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY | 82 |
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITY AND NEW HUMAN BIOTECHNOLOGIES | 103 |
RATIONAL AGENTS IN DIFFERENTIATED SOCIETIES | 122 |
ON THE FINE LINE BETWEEN STATUS AND STATE | 143 |
| 156 | |
| 161 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted activity Alasdair MacIntyre Anthony Giddens attribution attribution theory basis behaviour calculation caused chosen actions claims communicative interaction compatibilism compatibilist conception constituted context continuing course culture deference-emotion system differentiated societies discourse ethics dualism empirical empiricism ethnomethodology evaluations everyday discourse example existence external Giddens Goffman Habermas human actions human biotechnology identified implies important independent individuals indi individual agency individual human individual responsibility individualistic insanity defence institution of responsible instrumental action interest internal invisible involved Jürgen Habermas kind knowledge MacIntyre Milgram modern moral and ethical mutually susceptible naturalistic nature nonetheless normal norms notions ontological security oriented particular philosophy practice predictable problem rational choice theory rationalisation reason recognised reference relation relevant responsible action responsible agents role routine rules sense social agents social sciences social theory sociological theory sociologists specific status structure studies theorists things tion tradition understanding vidual voluntarism voluntaristic discourse voluntary actions wherein whilst
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Page v - ... through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Collect for Peace O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Collect for...