Hans Joas e la creatività dell'azione

Abstract

This essay presents the fundamental aspects of the theory of the creativity of action as it is developed by Hans Joas, the German sociologist. The theory is based on the retrieval, started with a monograph on Mead, of American pragmatism; it is aimed at overcoming both utilitarianism and normativism through a criticism of their shared presuppositions, namely, the logic of means to ends, the disposability of the body, and the autonomy of the subject. Emphasizing the situation in which actions occur, the pre-reflective character of habitual actions, and the role of intersubjective dynamics in processes of self-formation enables a more adequate understanding of human action and consequently of social structures and changes.