A memorable lecture by Prof. Herlinde Pauer-Studer (University of Vienna)

On Thursday, 20 March 2025, our ERC-funded research project Group Minds in Ancient Narrative had the honour of welcoming Professor Herlinde Pauer-Studer from the University of Vienna for a public lecture entitled:

“A Non-Mentalistic Account of Corporate Agency and Responsibility”

In this thought-provoking presentation, Prof. Pauer-Studer challenged widely held assumptions about the nature of corporate agency. She proposed an alternative, non-mentalistic account in which corporations and organizations can be seen as agents without presupposing mental states such as beliefs, desires, or intentions. Instead, she argued, agency emerges from the institutional structure and professional roles within the organization—especially the decision-making capacities of its operative members acting in accordance with their roles.

She further elaborated on how this account offers a robust framework for attributing moral responsibility to corporate entities for their social and environmental impacts. Importantly, it also provides a conceptual basis for understanding why senior managers may be held individually accountable for unethical or illegal corporate behaviour, even in the absence of personal malice or intent.

The presentation was followed by a stimulating and productive discussion. Audience members engaged with the lecture’s central themes, raising important questions related to agency and structure, the moral and legal responsibility of corporate actors, and the relationship between individual roles and collective action. The dialogue that ensued reflected the interdisciplinary appeal of Prof. Pauer-Studer’s work, bridging philosophy, ethics, legal theory, and social ontology.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Prof. Pauer-Studer for her insightful contribution and for enriching our ongoing exploration of collective minds, agency, and responsibility. We are also grateful to all attendees whose presence and participation helped make this event such a success. We hope this marks the beginning of future collaborations with Prof. Pauer-Studer.