Abstract
The paper defends a version of the view that agency is a causal power, the “causing view.” After sketching the view, and explaining how it differs from its rivals, various challenges are assessed. A family of objections says that causing change is neither necessary nor sufficient for acting. The second challenge centers on an Aristotelian thesis about the relation between an action (A's opening a window) and the corresponding passion (the window's being opened by A). The final objection concerns the dynamic nature of acting: the claim is that a causal view of agency cannot accommodate actions “in progress” or mere activity. I conclude that none of the objections examined presents unsurmountable problems for the causal view of agency which, at least in the version here defended, remains a highly plausible and attractive view.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 644-658 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 2 Jul 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2024 |