ILN EP 66: Agency

Published: Oct. 26, 2018, 10 a.m.

Pat was feeling irresponsible so Ben clues him in on the fundamental philosophical concept of agency. As the defining characteristic of what we call 'persons', agency is that quality we believe we must possess in order to be considered conscious, autonomous actors in the world. Without it, we'd be nothing but mindless robots. But what is agency? What does it consist in and what about it makes what we do "actions" rather than just "events"? Needless to say, this is a baffling line of questioning for Pat, who looks to his banjo for answers only to find the hollow indifference and deafening silence one would expect from an inanimate object. Are we any different? Tune in to find out!