Agency, Intention, and Moral Responsibility: A Philosophical Roundtable

This year’s roundtable will focus on questions of agency (kartṛtva), intention, and moral responsibility. What does it mean to be an “agent” or “doer”? To what extent are human beings (and other living beings) in control of their actions? How does agency relate to selfhood or personal identity? Our starting-point will be an argument from the Jain philosopher Akalaṅka (8th c.), who in his Tattvārthavārtika criticizes both the Buddhist doctrine of no-self and the Sāṃkhya view that the self is an experiencer (bhoktṛ) but not an agent (kartṛ); for Akalaṅka, the one who performs an action must also be the one who experiences its “karmic” result. Panelists will discuss Akalaṅka’s position alongside those of two other Jain philosophers, Kundakunda and Haribhadrasūri, and will also consider possible Hindu and Buddhist responses to their positions.