Conference 2025: Redefining Agency - Legal and Philosophical Perspectives

University of Helsinki, August 18-20, 2025

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. 

 

The preliminary programme for the conference is now available. Please note that the programme will be updated throughout the spring and summer.

 

Keynote speakers
  • 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.
Registration

The registration fee is €150, with a reduced fee of €100 available for PhD candidates and students. If you are not in one of these categories but believe you qualify for a reduced fee, please contact us by email at legacy@helsinki.fi. The registration fee includes lunches, coffee, the conference dinner, and the University of Helsinki reception.

The University of Helsinki reception will be held on the first day of the conference, following the final sessions. The reception will take place in the Main Building. During the event, the Dean of the Faculty of Law will deliver a welcome address, after which we will raise a toast and enjoy refreshments and light fare. Please indicate in the form whether you will attend the University reception.

Registration will close on the 31st of July, and the conference program will be updated on the conference website.

The language of the conference is English, and we expect the conference format to be fully in-person, taking place at the University of Helsinki, Main Building, Fabianinkatu 33.

Please note that the fee is non-refundable in the event of cancellation by the participant.

Other information

Unihome Töölö Towers offers discounted accommodation for conference guests, located approximately 2.4 kilometers from the conference venue. 
The discounted rates apply to bookings made for the period August 15–21, 2025
Reservations can be made using the discount code LEGACY, which is valid until August 1
When booking, please enter the code in the "promotion code" field. 

  • Single room: €98 per night 

  • One-bedroom apartment (35 m²) for two people: €145 per night 

  • Two-bedroom apartment (65 m²) for four people: €249 per night 

Closed | Submission guidelines

Researchers at all stages of their careers are invited to submit 300-500-word abstracts by the 28th of February 2025.

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.