The notion of agency is fundamental to our understanding of the self and society, influencing disciplines from philosophy and sociology to law and politics. Yet defining agency remains a challenge. In its simplest form, the notion of agency distinguishes between events that merely happen and actions performed intentionally by individuals or other entities. This distinction shapes how we attribute responsibility, autonomy, and rights.
In law, the distinction between agents and non-agents is pivotal: only agents can make decisions, enter contracts, or bear responsibility. Traditionally, the Western legal tradition has equated agency with rational, autonomous individuals—a notion deeply embedded in the liberal tradition. This conception of agency excludes entities like children, persons with cognitive disabilities, artificial intelligence systems, and nonhuman animals from full legal agency, often based on their perceived lack of rationality or individuality.
However, recent advances—ranging from neurotechnologies to debates on nonhuman agency—are challenging this paradigm. These discussions, while groundbreaking, remain fragmented. Scholarly discussion of the new potential types of agents takes place in disciplinary silos and could use systematization. This conference aims to bridge these gaps, fostering a comprehensive dialogue on agency in its many forms.
The purpose of the conference is to bring together these different perspectives on agency.
Possible topics to be addressed at the conference include:
- varieties of human agency (collective agency, socially enabled agency, human-AI hybrids, neurotechnology-mediated agency)
- agency and human/fundamental rights
- the relationship between agency and closely related concepts (personhood, subjectivity etc.)
- emerging agents, such as AI systems and nonhuman animals
- philosophical and theoretical approaches to agency
- autonomy, self-determination and paternalism in the law
The conference is organized by the ERC-funded project Agency in Law (LEGACY). The purpose of the project is to develop a historically informed, comprehensive, and rigorous understanding of legal agency, based on a broad synthesis of legal and philosophical thought.
The confirmed keynote speakers are:
- Gunther Teubner, Emeritus Professor of Private Law and Legal Sociology at Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main.
- Anna Arstein-Kerslake, Associate Professor at Melbourne Law School in the area of disability human rights law.
- Eva Meijer, postdoctoral researcher on animal law at the University of Amsterdam, as well as a philosopher, visual artist, writer and singer-songwriter.
- Veronica Rodriguez-Blanco, Professor in Moral and Political Philosophy (Jurisprudence) at Surrey Law School, University of Surrey.
Submission guidelines
Researchers at all stages of their careers are invited to submit 300-500-word abstracts by the 28th of February 2025.