Abstract

Classical Confucians, contemporary feminists, and comparative philosophers have argued that roles and relationships constitute our agency and autonomy. These philosophers argue that who we are, including our desires, intentions, and values, can be explained by our relationships—e.g. to family, peers, or friends—and roles—e.g. as teacher or daughter. However, some argue relational views fail to robustly explain autonomy in a way that captures the harms of oppression. I argue that Classical Confucian understandings of relational agency, which endorse a weak source normativity and emphasize the importance of normative ‘checks’ on relationships and roles, can help answer this worry. Rituals, relationships, and roles help to shape, direct, and express natural attitudes and affects in accordance with normatively primary understandings of relational human nature and harmony. Classical Confucianism can thus shed light on the construction of relational agency and offer insight into how oppressed subjects may undermine oppression.