Looks at the limits of free will in human action.

Disciplinary psychology has failed to achieve a coherent conception of human agency. Instead, it oscillates between two differing conceptions of agency that are equally untenable: a scientistic, reductive approach to choice and action, and an instrumental approach that celebrates a romantic notion of free will. This book examines theoretical, philosophical psychology and argues for a historically and socioculturally situated human capacity for choosing and acting in ways not entirely determined by culture and/or biology. The authors present a detailed developmental theory of how agentic capability emerges from the pre-reflective activity of humans in a real physical and social world. Implications of the theory are considered for psychological research and practice, and for the broader socio-political impact of disciplinary psychology in Western liberal democracies.

Jack Martin, the author of over 100 articles and chapters in journals and books of education, is a professor of education at Simon Fraser University. His areas of interest include both theoretical and applied psychology, especially in educational and psychotherapeutic settings.

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Jeff Sugarman, PhD, is a professor of education at Simon Fraser University, where he teaches courses in the psychology of education, educational research and teacher professional development. His interests straddle psychology and education, with particular emphasis on theory and philosophy of applied psychology.

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