Voluntarism

From Geography

In short voluntarism is a kind of way of thinking about human existence and society. It supposes that individuals have some sort of independent capacity to influence their own life and their own world. This rather than fully determined by controls (Ernste, 2009). The social-scientific perspective on determinism focuses directly on voluntarism. This concept is then explained as ‘the workings of free will that determine every theoretical and practical human action (Ernste, 2009, p. 113). According to Schopenhauer it’s the will that causes things to happen to the individuals as life happens. Will, or in other words causality, creates our own determinacy (Ernste, 2009).

The structuration theory bridges the crucial gap in social theory, namely the gap between voluntarism and determinism (structuralism). In the structuration theory the concept ‘structures’ is very important, and shapes the life of the individuals. Anthony Giddens[1] (an author of the structuration approach) tried to solve this (Lippuner and Werlen, 2009).

According to Giddens all individuals are active agents in the world and the society is their realization of this action. You can also see this in Giddens definition of voluntarism. He wants that individuals have their own choice, because they need to be capable of handling specific change. This behaviour is voluntaristic because the agents (the individual human beings) have a certain kind of freedom. The most common form of voluntaristic action is creating routines in their lives (Loyal and Barnes, 2001). In fact Giddens attempts with his structuration theory to defeat the opposition between voluntarism and determination (in short, you can see this as a constraint). He does this to see both as moments of praxis. This is for example the interaction during face-to-face situations with other individuals, social collectivities and relations between human beings (Lippuner and Werlen, 2009).

References

• Ernste, H. and Philo, C. (2009). Determinism/Environmental Determinism. In: International Encyclopedia for Human Geography. Elsevier.

• Lippuner, R. & Werlen, B. (2009) Structuration Theory. In: International Encyclopedia for Human Geography. Elsevier.

• Loyal, S. & Barnes, B. (2001). ‘Agency’ as a Red Herring in Social Theory. Philosophy of the Social Sciences. Vol. 31. No. 4.

• The Guardian. (2011). Anthony Giddens’ trip to see Gaddafi vetted by Liyan intelligence chief. Image retrieved from[2] at 15 Oktober 2012.

Contributors

• Page published by Renate van Haaren, RenateVanHaaren 21:36, 15 October 2012 (CEST)