[PHILOS-L] CfP: Philosophy of Science of Decision Making - Armin Schulz (Sept 26)

[James Grayot]

CAUTION: This email originated outside of the University. Do not click links unless you can verify the source of this email and know the content is safe. Check sender address, hover over URLs, and don't open suspicious email attachments.

 

Dear All, 

I'm excited to invite you to the second installment of the Philosophy of Science of Decision Making seminar series.

Speaker: Armin Schulz

Title: "Agency: The Case for an Eliminative Pluralism"

Date: 26 September 2025, 16:00 (CEST)

Format: Online, in English

Abstract: Concepts of agency are invoked in explanations, models, theories, and predictions in many different sciences, from evolutionary biology to computer science and economics. In order to understand and assess the work in these sciences, therefore, it is crucial to understand these appeals to “agency.” To make progress in this, this paper makes the case for three interrelated conclusions. First, the best way to understand the question about the nature of agency is as an account that lays out defensible scientific uses of the concept of agency—not a purely metaphysical-philosophical account, or a purely interpretationist account. Second, the paper seeks to show that there is not one right answer about what an agent is—that is, we should be eliminativists about the general concept of agency. Third, though, it also shows that this should not be conflated with the view that anything goes as far as agency is concerned: in specific scientific contexts, such as economics and biology, there are more and less defensible views of agency in that context. That is, we should be scientific pluralists about agency.  

Registration: If you would like to join this seminar and have not previously registered, please send an email to james....@gmail.com with the subject line "PhilSciDec". Video links will be shared only with those who register at least 24 hrs in advance of the seminar.

Info: For more information about the seminar series, including future speakers and topics, please visit the website here. 

Best, 

James Grayot

--

James Grayot, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Mind, Language and Action Group (MLAG)

Institute of Philosophy

Faculty of Letters of the University of Porto

Personal website

Google Scholar

* New article in Mind & Language, "Representation hunger: Reformulating the 'problem domain' of truly complex cognition". 

* New chapter in The Routledge Handbook of Mindshaping, "Mindshaping and the embodiment of rationality". 

* New article in Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, "Dual process theory and the challenges of functional individuation". 

Philos-L "The Liverpool List" is run by the Department of Philosophy, University of Liverpool https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/philosophy/philos-l/ Messages to the list are archived at http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/philos-l.html. Recent posts can also be read in a Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/PhilosL/ Follow the list on Twitter @PhilosL. Follow the Department of Philosophy @LiverpoolPhilos To sign off the list send a blank message to philos-l-unsub...@liverpool.ac.uk.