On the common sense view, an agent is an individual. Communities are collections of individuals, but the community itself is not understood to possess a collective, unified agency. Nevertheless, this view stands at odds with frequent ascriptions of communal agency; e.g., "Oregonians are environmentally conscious," "The team played to win," "The LGBTQ community is pro-gay marriage." If we are to vindicate such ascriptions, we need a theory of the "reality of community," the thesis that under certain conditions, a community possesses a unified, collective agency. This work reconstructs Royce's theory of communal agency through his views of purposiveness and the use he makes of C.S. Peirce's "theory of interpretation." I argue that, for Royce, agency is purposiveness and purposiveness always bears the triadic structure of the process of interpretation. Thus, the process of interpretation entails agency whether at the level of the individual or at the level of the community. / 10000-01-01

Movements for food sovereignty are socio-political efforts to build collective power and agency. This study builds on the work of Monica White and utilizes a Collective Agency Theory (CAT) lens in exploring the role of Black farmer organizers and their cross-sectoral relationships as they re-imagine the food system as pathways for liberation, self-determination, and food sovereignty. An interpretive phenomenology was used to critically explore and understand the experiences of 41 Black farmer organizers who are actively organizing in both urban and rural spaces toward food sovereignty in Virginia. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews and two focus group interviews with 20 participants were conducted. The data were coded and analyzed, incorporating Creswell's (2009) and Heidegger's (1962) thematic approach. The findings revealed that Black farmer organizers were strategically collaborating with both non-Black and Black farmer organizers, with a focus on building collective power and agency within historically marginalized communities affected by settler colonialism, White supremacy, and plantation-style agriculture. Their organizing efforts were driven by the goal of challenging systemic inequities and cultivating self-sustaining communities rooted in cultural heritage and food sovereignty. By doing so, they aimed to foster a more just, equitable, and sustainable food system that celebrated diversity, empowered communities and embodied the principles of food sovereignty. Embracing food sovereignty played a pivotal role in their efforts, leading to a reimagining of agricultural autonomy. To challenge and disrupt the inequities within the food system, they advocated for land reform, policy changes, and community-led initiatives that promoted self-determination. As a socio-political endeavor, their organizing efforts hold immense potential in fostering positive change and shaping a more inclusive and equitable food system. Empirically, the study contributes to the food systems discourse and highlights Black-led grassroots food systems organizers as central change agents. It also contributes to food systems practice by offering valuable insights for practitioners to inform their own approaches. / Doctor of Philosophy / Movements for food sovereignty are powerful socio-political endeavors aimed at building collective strength and empowerment. This study delves into the role of Black farmer organizers and their partnerships across various sectors as they envision a food system that fosters liberation, self-determination, and food sovereignty. By using a Collective Agency Theory lens, I explored the experiences of 41 Black farmer organizers in urban and rural areas of Virginia who are actively working towards food sovereignty. Through a combination of 21 semi-structured interviews and two focus group sessions involving 20 participants, we gained valuable insights into their efforts. These Black farmer organizers collaborate with both Black and Non-Black organizers, with a particular focus on historically marginalized communities impacted by settler colonialism, White supremacy, and plantation-style agriculture, especially in the U.S. South. Their goal is to challenge systemic inequities and nurture self-sufficient communities rooted in cultural heritage and food justice. Embracing food sovereignty is at the core of their mission, leading to a reimagining of agricultural autonomy. They advocate for land reform, policy changes, and community-led initiatives, seeking to challenge oppressive systems and promote self-determination. Their impact is vast, fostering a more inclusive and equitable food system. They celebrate diversity, cherish cultural traditions, and empower their communities. Their vision extends beyond just farming; it's about building a better world for all. Through collective action, these Black farmers are igniting a positive transformation in the food system, uniting people from diverse backgrounds to create a sustainable future for everyone. Their work is a step towards a more just and fair food system where everyone can access nutritious food and shape their own destiny. Empirically, the study provides valuable insights into ongoing food systems discussions. It specifically emphasizes the significant role played by Black-led grassroots food systems organizers as agents of change. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing and supporting the agency of Black-led grassroots initiatives in promoting equity, justice, and sustainability within the broader food landscape. It also offers valuable insights that can help practitioners improve their own practices and approaches. By understanding the experiences and efforts of Black-led grassroots food systems organizers, practitioners can learn from their successes and challenges and apply these lessons to create positive changes in the food system.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att kritisera David Copps collective moral autonomy thesis. Denna tes säger att det är möjligt för kollektiv att ha moraliska förpliktelser och vara moraliskt ansvariga trots att ingen av dess medlemmar har motsvarande egenskaper. Copp har fört fram två argument och tre exempel till stöd för sin tes. Jag kommer att diskutera dessa utifrån den kritik som förts fram mot tesen. Min slutsats är att Copps tes, om ändå konceptuellt möjlig, inte stöds av de argument och exempel som Copp presenterar. Jag kommer huvudsakligen argumentera för att dessa är fall där ingen agent – varken ett kollektiv eller en individ – kan hållas moraliskt ansvarig.

Thesis advisor: Lisa S. Cahill / This dissertation makes a case for renewed attention to the notion of collective agency and responsibility in Christian ethics. The overarching argument is that the kinds of moral claims we frequently make on social groups cannot be adequately reduced to individual or structural terms, and that a rightly construed sense of collective agency can help fill this conceptual gap. This view is in keeping with important elements of Christian reflection on the nature of social interaction and social life, and the main goal of the dissertation is the development of a model for understanding some groups as collective moral agents. After a survey of treatments of the problem of collective agency and responsibility in the Bible and Christian theology in the introduction, the dissertation turns to the work of two major figures in twentieth century Christian ethics, Jacques Maritain and Reinhold Niebuhr, to provide the central elements of this view of collective agency. Namely, these figures supply contrasting but mutually correcting accounts of individual intersubjectivity, structural non-reducibility, and collective intentionality in social groups. Perspectives from the social sciences and from analytic philosophy help clarify the issues at hand and adjudicate the differences between Maritain and Niebuhr. The dissertation ends with a theological synthesis of the forgoing discussion, proposing a view of the potential for collective moral agency that takes account of the capacity for both friendship and coercion in human intersubjectivity, for both community and conflict in social organization, and for both intentional creativity and impersonal functionality in the interaction of individual and structural elements of social life. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

Almost since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden has been criticised for doing too little to stop the spread of the virus. No lockdowns have been implemented and schools have stayed open throughout the pandemic. In his book Pandemic Ethics, Ben Bramble argues that lockdowns are necessary and that Swedes may become ”somewhat colder” and ”less able to flourish” as a result of Sweden’s pandemic response. In this essay I discuss whether or not the Swedish people are being failed as moral agents by Swedish authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. I analyse two senses in which the people could be morally wronged: (1) by having too much moral responsibility placed upon them, and (2) by becoming less virtuous or less able to flourish as a result of actions and words of the authorities. In answering (1), I argue that an individual moral agent has little or no moral responsibility from a utilitarian point of view. From a virtue ethics point of view, the cause behind the action is more important than its consequences, so being handed the responsibility for stopping the spread of coronavirus would not be significantly different from other instances where citizens are free to act in a way that may lead to them causing harm to others. By analysing examples of how citizens can exercise their moral virtues in states with differing responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, I show that citizens becoming more or less virtuous does not follow from the pandemic response of the country they live in, thereby refuting (2). I then briefly discuss two ways in which I believe authorities could fail its citizens as moral agents.

The goal of this project completed for the Greater Northfield Sustainability Collaborative (GNSC) was to understand how Northfield, Minnesota citizens are experiencing climate change. Thirty individuals were interviewed to find out what they know about climate change, what actions they are taking, what they think the solutions are to the problems, and what barriers they have to more fully engaging with climate change issues. The interview results are intended to promote and advance the community's discussion on climate change via social learning and community engagement activities such as town hall forums and community surveys. These activities encourage citizens in the community to have direct input into the development of the community's climate action plan (CAP). Analysis of the interviews showed that the interviewees are witnessing climate change, that most are taking at least some action such as recycling or lowering thermostats, that they can name barriers to their own inaction, that they say communication about climate change remains confusing and is not widespread in Northfield, and that they are able to provide numerous suggestions for what the local and broader leadership should be doing. The analysis also showed wide individual variation within the group. Interviewees who were less knowledgeable about climate were less likely to be taking action and do not participate in social groups where climate change is discussed. Conclusions are that the whole group would like more and better communication and education from our leaders, that they also expect our leaders to be part of creating solutions to climate change, and that the solutions the interviewees suggested provide a very thorough initial list of mitigation and adaptation strategies for the city's future CAP.

The idea that ‘business ethics' picks out a distinct discipline within ethical theory is contentious; in particular, it is unclear why theoretical approaches to moral and political philosophy cannot satisfactorily address ethical concerns in the context of business activity, just as they can in the context of other human activities. In response, I argue that some features of the business environment require more focused analysis than currently available. This environment is characterised by the presence of large social groups – business organisations – that are not political in nature, but yet wield considerable power and are the vehicles for complex forms of collective action. The most pressing ethical concern raised by such collective action is collective moral responsibility. I develop an account of collective responsibility that is tailored to business organisations and that combines a number of strands of moral thought – a desert-based account of moral responsibility that is of a kind with that typically applied to individual humans; a pluralistic account of how collective responsibility is generated that is rooted in irreducible group-level properties; and a moderate approach to social ontology that sees nothing mysterious in ‘distinct' collective entities. From this starting point I develop two detailed models that illustrate how business organisations can constitute distinct collective entities that may be held morally responsible. The first shows how such organisations may satisfy the conditions required to hold moral agency, which is typically assumed to be a prerequisite for moral responsibility. The second breaks with this tradition and argues for the possibility of ‘non-agential' moral responsibility in cases where complex organisational structures mediate the actions of the moral agents that populate them. I conclude by showing how this distinct organisational-level responsibility, far from insulating organisation members from personal culpability, illustrates quite distinct standards against which such individuals may be judged.

Cette thèse applique et développe le paradigme de l’ergonomie constructive à la conception de l’organisation. Le développement de l’individu et des organisations est présenté à travers l’approche des capabilités et plus spécifiquement par l’approche des capabilités collectives, qui ne sont pas la seule juxtaposition ou agrégation de capabilités individuelles mais supposent l’émergence d’une possibilité nouvelle et collective d’agir et de créer.Dans cette dynamique développementale et constructive, la recherche s’appuie sur une intervention de (re)conception d’un processus de soin innovant - la chirurgie ambulatoire - et définit et met en oeuvre une méthodologie de l’intervention qui pose le développement comme le moyen et la finalité de l’action. La méthodologie repose sur la mise en place d’un environnement qui (au moins le temps de l’intervention) soit capacitant et sur une démarche ergonomique qui serve le développement des capabilités des opérateurs au travers de l’activité collective conjointe. Le résultat de ce processus est la mise en oeuvre d’une agencéité collective qui permet au groupe d’atteindre un objectif commun de transformation des règles de travail. Cette volonté partagée entre les membres du groupe et les possibilités effectives ont facilité la conception d’une organisation du travail collectif.Deux étapes ont guidé l’intervention ergonomique : la construction du diagnostic de la situation à transformer et la conduite du changement de l’organisation à améliorer. La première étape a consisté à analyser le travail et ses contradictions : en quoi l’organisation constitue-t-elle un frein ou un moteur au développement de l’activité collective conjointe, ressource au développement des capabilités collectives ? Les résultats du diagnostic ont mis en évidence le bouleversement des standards professionnels des soignants engendré par la chirurgie ambulatoire et la difficulté des soignants à construire une organisation qui favorise le collectif transverse et l’activité collective conjointe. Au regard de ces résultats, la seconde étape a favorisé et soutenu la participation active des opérateurs aux démarches de changement et de conception. Dans un premier temps l’ergonome a mis en place une dynamique encourageant la confrontation des représentations du travail de chacun et leur mise en débat. Cette dynamique a permis la construction d’une représentation partagée de l’existant, nécessaire à la conception d’une situation future. Dans un second temps, une méthodologie de conception participative de l’organisation a été mise en oeuvre, aboutissant à un projet d’organisation de la chirurgie ambulatoire.Cette recherche interroge enfin la compréhension du rôle de l’ergonome comme facteur de conversion dans ce processus de transformation de l’organisation et la modélisation de l’action ergonomique de transformation. / This thesis develops and applies the paradigm of constructive ergonomics to organizational design. The development of individuals and organizations is presented through the capability approach, and more specifically through the approach of collective capabilities. These are not the mere juxtaposition or aggregation of individual capabilities but involve the emergence of a new and collective possibility to act and create.In this constructive and developmental perspective, the research is based on a redesign intervention regarding an innovative care process - outpatient surgery. It defines and implements an intervention methodology that considers development as the means and the end of the action. The methodology rests on setting up an enabling environment (at least during the intervention) and an ergonomic approach which supports the development of operators' capabilities through the joint collective activity. This process promotes a collective agency which allows the group to fulfil a common goal of transforming work rules. This shared commitment within the group and the actual opportunities for change have facilitated the design of an organization of collective work.The ergonomic intervention has proceeded in 2 steps: the construction of a diagnosis regarding the situation to be transformed and the management of the organizational change. The first step consisted in analyzing work and its contradictions: is the organization impeding or encouraging the joint collective activity development? Is it a resource for the development of collective capabilities? The diagnosis has highlighted the disruption of professional standards of care staff generated by outpatient surgery and the difficulty of the care staff in building an organization that promotes a transverse team and a collective joint activity. In view of these results, the second step has fostered and supported the active participation of operators in processes of change and design. At first, the ergonomist has implemented a dynamics encouraging the debate about the representations of work. This has led to a shared representation of the current situation, required for the design of a future situation. Then, a participatory methodology of organizational design has been implemented leading to an organization project of ambulatory surgery.Finally, this research questions the role of the ergonomist as a conversion factor in this process of organizational transformation and proposes a model of ergonomic transformation action.

Cette thèse applique et développe le paradigme de l’ergonomie constructive à la conception de l’organisation. Le développement de l’individu et des organisations est présenté à travers l’approche des capabilités et plus spécifiquement par l’approche des capabilités collectives, qui ne sont pas la seule juxtaposition ou agrégation de capabilités individuelles mais supposent l’émergence d’une possibilité nouvelle et collective d’agir et de créer.Dans cette dynamique développementale et constructive, la recherche s’appuie sur une intervention de (re)conception d’un processus de soin innovant - la chirurgie ambulatoire - et définit et met en oeuvre une méthodologie de l’intervention qui pose le développement comme le moyen et la finalité de l’action. La méthodologie repose sur la mise en place d’un environnement qui (au moins le temps de l’intervention) soit capacitant et sur une démarche ergonomique qui serve le développement des capabilités des opérateurs au travers de l’activité collective conjointe. Le résultat de ce processus est la mise en oeuvre d’une agencéité collective qui permet au groupe d’atteindre un objectif commun de transformation des règles de travail. Cette volonté partagée entre les membres du groupe et les possibilités effectives ont facilité la conception d’une organisation du travail collectif.Deux étapes ont guidé l’intervention ergonomique : la construction du diagnostic de la situation à transformer et la conduite du changement de l’organisation à améliorer. La première étape a consisté à analyser le travail et ses contradictions : en quoi l’organisation constitue-t-elle un frein ou un moteur au développement de l’activité collective conjointe, ressource au développement des capabilités collectives ? Les résultats du diagnostic ont mis en évidence le bouleversement des standards professionnels des soignants engendré par la chirurgie ambulatoire et la difficulté des soignants à construire une organisation qui favorise le collectif transverse et l’activité collective conjointe. Au regard de ces résultats, la seconde étape a favorisé et soutenu la participation active des opérateurs aux démarches de changement et de conception. Dans un premier temps l’ergonome a mis en place une dynamique encourageant la confrontation des représentations du travail de chacun et leur mise en débat. Cette dynamique a permis la construction d’une représentation partagée de l’existant, nécessaire à la conception d’une situation future. Dans un second temps, une méthodologie de conception participative de l’organisation a été mise en oeuvre, aboutissant à un projet d’organisation de la chirurgie ambulatoire.Cette recherche interroge enfin la compréhension du rôle de l’ergonome comme facteur de conversion dans ce processus de transformation de l’organisation et la modélisation de l’action ergonomique de transformation. / This thesis develops and applies the paradigm of constructive ergonomics to organizational design. The development of individuals and organizations is presented through the capability approach, and more specifically through the approach of collective capabilities. These are not the mere juxtaposition or aggregation of individual capabilities but involve the emergence of a new and collective possibility to act and create.In this constructive and developmental perspective, the research is based on a redesign intervention regarding an innovative care process - outpatient surgery. It defines and implements an intervention methodology that considers development as the means and the end of the action. The methodology rests on setting up an enabling environment (at least during the intervention) and an ergonomic approach which supports the development of operators' capabilities through the joint collective activity. This process promotes a collective agency which allows the group to fulfil a common goal of transforming work rules. This shared commitment within the group and the actual opportunities for change have facilitated the design of an organization of collective work.The ergonomic intervention has proceeded in 2 steps: the construction of a diagnosis regarding the situation to be transformed and the management of the organizational change. The first step consisted in analyzing work and its contradictions: is the organization impeding or encouraging the joint collective activity development? Is it a resource for the development of collective capabilities? The diagnosis has highlighted the disruption of professional standards of care staff generated by outpatient surgery and the difficulty of the care staff in building an organization that promotes a transverse team and a collective joint activity. In view of these results, the second step has fostered and supported the active participation of operators in processes of change and design. At first, the ergonomist has implemented a dynamics encouraging the debate about the representations of work. This has led to a shared representation of the current situation, required for the design of a future situation. Then, a participatory methodology of organizational design has been implemented leading to an organization project of ambulatory surgery.Finally, this research questions the role of the ergonomist as a conversion factor in this process of organizational transformation and proposes a model of ergonomic transformation action.