# Human Agency **Domain:** philosophy **Doc Type:** Concept Node **Classification:** Infrastructure Concept **Maturity:** Foundational **Related:** [[Human Deliberation]], [[Governance Testbeds]], [[Operational Logic]], [[Nonlinear Dynamics]], [[Fork in Human Development]] --- ## Definition **The capacity of individuals to make autonomous choices that shape outcomes**, distinct from deterministic causality but acknowledging constraints imposed by institutions, resources, and information. Agency balances free choice against structural determination. --- ## General Context Philosophical debates distinguish between libertarian free will, compatibilism (agency within causal constraints), and determinism. Social science examines how institutions, power structures, and resources enable or constrain actual agency versus formal rights. --- ## Key Insight Real agency requires not just formal freedom to choose, but meaningful capacity and information to select among genuine alternatives. Expanding human agency thus requires both removing constraints and building capacity. --- ## See Also [[Paradigm Shift]], [[Global Justice]], [[Meritocracy]], [[Model-Based Governance]], [[Climate Justice as Reparative Equity]]