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Agency as an Inherent Property of Living Organisms
Bernd Rosslenbroich1,2, Susanna Kümmell1, Benjamin Bembé1,2
1Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Morphology Centre for Biomedical Education and Research, Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
Biological Theory
|December 20, 2024
Summary
Agency, the intrinsic activity of organisms, is fundamental to life and evolves through distinct levels. Enhanced autonomy correlates with increased agency, particularly in complex organisms like humans with goal-directed behavior.
Area of Science:
- Biology
- Philosophy of Science
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Agency, defined as intrinsic activity, is a core characteristic of living organisms.
- The concept of agency is currently debated, with varying interpretations in scientific literature.
- Life processes and environmental behaviors are intrinsically linked to an organism's agency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of publications on organismic agency.
- To argue that agency is immanent in all living organisms.
- To propose and describe multiple levels of agency and their relationship with autonomy.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of publications on organismic agency.
- Development of a theoretical framework for understanding agency.
- Analysis of the relationship between agency and autonomy across evolutionary scales.
Main Results:
- Agency is proposed as an inherent property of life, existing at multiple levels.
- Identified levels of agency include organismic, ontogenetic, directed, and goal-directed.
- Autonomy and agency are closely related, with increased autonomy supporting enhanced agency.
Conclusions:
- Agency is fundamental to life and manifests at various evolutionary and developmental stages.
- The evolution of autonomy parallels the development of more complex forms of agency.
- Understanding the multifaceted nature of agency, from basic life processes to goal-directed behavior, is crucial.
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