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In this seminar we will perform a close reading of Shaun Gallagher’s recent book Action and Interaction
(2020, OUP). The book consists of three parts, where the first part
deals with demarcating ‘actions’, clarifying the temporal structure of
actions, the meaning of actions and different senses of agency. The
second part turns to ‘interaction’. In this part Gallagher outlines his
‘interaction theory’ of social cognition, and defends it from other
mindreading approaches to social cognition. Finally, in part three,
Gallagher explores the implications of the first two parts for thinking
about how we as agents are shaped by our social practices and
institutions. The ultimate goal of the book is to have a clearer
understanding of autonomous agency and morally responsible action. The book contains a treasure trove of interesting ideas, and Gallagher substantiates his analyses by drawing on diverse fields such as philosophy of action, embodied and enactive cognitive science, hermeneutic phenomenology and critical social theory. No substantial background knowledge in these fields is required. Where necessary the lecturer will provide background information. After an introductory session, each subsequent session will be devoted to discussing a chapter of the book. Ideally, towards the end of the semester Prof. Gallagher will be invited for an online session so that the students may interact directly with the author of this book. |
- Kursleiter/in: Roy Dings
Semester: SoSe 2025