The Collective Character of Creative Action: Who makes a Chinese ritual vessel?

In this talk, Professor Valmisa introduces All Things Act, her forthcoming book on the metaphysics of agency, which argues that all actions—even those that appear individual, intentional, and free—are collectively constituted by a colorful variety of human and nonhuman actors. Focusing on the creation of Shang bronze vessels, she explores how intentions, thinking, and making are neither prior to nor independent from sociomaterial conditions and processes. Rather than asking what an agent does upon the world, it is more meaningful to ask what humans, matter, resources, technologies, and sociocultural norms can do by joining forces and acting together. The making of ancient Chinese ritual vessels illustrates that artistic creation cannot be sourced to an individual (human) agent, but instead materially unfolds in collaboration with things.

Professor Valmisa is the author of Adapting: A Chinese Philosophy of Action (Oxford University Press, 2021) and several articles on Chinese philosophy.