Review by Choice Review
Ludwig (Indiana Univ., Bloomington) argues for an account of group (aka plural) agency that reduces it to the agencies of the individuals composing the group when individuals have the appropriate intentional content so that no appeal to sui generis group agency is necessary. This may seem plausible and almost trivial to those unaware of debate on group agency, but the devil is in the details. Ludwig offers comprehensive comparisons of his own views and those of competitors, expressing key claims and arguments in formal logic to capture precisely under what conditions group agency arises from the collective behavior of individuals and offering ample narrative explanation to make the meaning of such formal symbolism transparent. This work focuses on the general concept of plural agency; the anticipated second volume will say more about how this applies to specific cases such as mobs and institutions. With its impeccably clear prose and organization, this book will surely enrich the debate on plural agency. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. --Scott E. Forschler, independent scholar
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
