In
sociology and
philosophy,
agency is the capacity of an entity (a person or other entity, human or any living being in general, or
soul-
consciousness in religion) to act in any given environment. The capacity to act does not at first imply a specific moral dimension to the ability to make the choice to act, and
moral agency is therefore a distinct concept. In sociology, an agent is an individual engaging with the
social structure. Notably, though, the primacy of
social structure vs. individual capacity with regard to persons' actions is debated within sociology. This debate concerns, at least partly, the level of
reflexivity an agent may possess.
