Article: Elicitory Structural Power and Agential Power

Arash Abizadeh. "Elicitory Structural Power and Agential Power: An Outline and Defense." Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy, forthcoming.

Elicitory Structural Agential Power.pdf

Download PDF • 427KB

Abstract: Many theorists assume that social power operates only by way of agents’ intentional actions and their causal influence on outcomes—where causality is understood to imply making a difference. This paper challenges all three assumptions. It defends, first, the idea that one can play a causal role even without making a difference; second, a notion of structural power as a species of “elicitory” power, which does not operate by way of one’s intentional actions; and third, a non-causal category of power, whereby outcomes obtain without one playing a causal role. Recognizing non-decisive, elicitory and structural, and non-causal categories of power is practically, morally, and evaluatively significant: it serves the purposes of determining how to fulfil our aims; of assigning responsibility and blame; and of critically assessing a society’s normative standing in light of its power structure.

Keywords: social power; structural power; elicitory power; agential power; racism; patriarchy

Image: Architectural details, the Woolworth Building, New York, New York (Carol M. Highsmith)