Agency in History | The Diatribe

How much agency should we give to historical characters? Are people automatons or completely rational actors? Does everyone behave with full willpower, or are just going through the routine? ------------------------------------------------------------ references, by order shown: Thomas Andrews, Killing for Coal: America’s Deadliest Labor War (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2008). https://amzn.to/2RzfdIj Julian Baggini and Peter S. Fosl, The Philosopher’s Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods (New York: Blackwell Publishing, 2010). https://amzn.to/2ypBBuU Edward T. Linenthal and Tom Engelhardt, History Wars: The Enola Gay and other Battles for the American Past (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996). https://amzn.to/2pHmglK George F. Kennan, The Decision to Intervene: Soviet American Relations, 1917-1920, Volume II (Princeton, N.Jer.: Princeton University Press, 1956). https://amzn.to/2vGXzZO E.M. Halliday, The Ignorant Armies (New York: Bantam, 1958). https://amzn.to/2OzcWuD Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1970). https://amzn.to/2vJHe6B ------------------------------------------------------------ SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c... Support the channel through Patreon:   / cynicalhistorian   or pick up some merchandise at SpreadShirt: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/cynicalh... LET'S CONNECT:   / cynicalcypher88     / discord     / cynical_history   ------------------------------------------------------------ Wiki: Agency is the capacity of an actor to act in a given environment. The capacity to act does not at first imply a specific moral dimension to the ability to make the choice to act, and moral agency is therefore a distinct concept. In sociology, an agent is an individual engaging with the social structure. Notably, though, the primacy of social structure vs. individual capacity with regard to persons' actions is debated within sociology. This debate concerns, at least partly, the level of reflexivity an agent may possess. Agency may either be classified as unconscious, involuntary behavior, or purposeful, goal directed activity (intentional action). An agent typically has some sort of immediate awareness of their physical activity and the goals that the activity is aimed at realizing. In ‘goal directed action’ an agent implements a kind of direct control or guidance over their own behavior. ------------------------------------------------------------ Hashtags: #history #agency #WillPower