The Shape of Agency, by Joshua Shepherd

Abstract

What makes an event an action rather than a mere happening? What makes us agents rather than non-agents? What does being in control amount to? And in virtue of what are our actions skilled? These are among the deepest and hardest questions in the philosophy of action. They are also particularly timely, as the field is revisiting them both in connection with a study of intentional action and with a renewed interest in skilled action. In The Shape of Agency, Joshua Shepherd aims to offer a mostly original perspective on these questions. My discussion will cover three crucial components of Shepherd's views: his theory of controlled behaviour (§1), his theory of intentional action (§2) and his theory of skills (§3). While a lot of contemporary literature in action theory focuses on the difference between intentional action and non-intentional action, in chapter 1, Shepherd takes a step back and asks...