Roy Bhaskar's Critical-Transcendental Agency and Its Implications for Education

Document Type : پژوهشی

Authors

• yousef zarei ¹
• Mansour Marashi ²
• Jalal Hashemi ³
• parvaneh valavi ³

¹ PhD Student, Chamran University of Ahwaz, Ahwaz, Iran.

² Professor, Chamran University of Ahwaz, Ahwaz, Iran.

³ Associate Professor, Chamran University of Ahwaz, Ahwaz, Iran.

10.22067/fedu.2025.93079.1414

Abstract

Abstract
This study employs an analytical-deductive methodology to critically examine Roy Bhaskar’s concept of critical-transcendental human agency and to articulate its implications for education. Bhaskar conceptualizes human agency as intentional, ontologically real, and inherently connected to the notion of action. Agents, utilizing their innate capacities, act both individually and collectively within pre-existing social structures, which they simultaneously reproduce and transform. Rooted in an ontological inquiry into human existence, this approach investigates the conditions of possibility for agency through transcendental analysis, identifying a common human core composed of four interrelated strata: material nature, social structure, interpersonal relations, and embodied personality. Drawing on the emancipatory foundations of critical theory, Bhaskar highlights human agency’s capacity to interpret and transform a world characterized by persistent crises across these four levels. His framework emphasizes human potential not only in terms of individual self-realization and latent capability actualization but also in the pursuit of a eudaimonic society and collective liberation. Education is integral to the cultivation of human agency. Bhaskar’s critical-transcendental perspective offers profound implications for educational aims, principles, and methodologies. Concerning educational aims, it advocates for enlightenment and global self-realization. Concerning educational principles, it underscores the importance of fostering intentional agency through dynamic engagement with learning environments, promoting critical consciousness and self-awareness, nurturing multi-layered cognition, advancing justice and emancipation, and cultivating intuition and creativity within the pedagogical relationship. Regarding educational methodologies, it encourages the integration of creative intuition and explanatory critique as central strategies.
Keywords: human agency, critical-transcendental agency, Bhaskar, education
Synopsis
This research employs an analytical-deductive methodology to thoroughly examine Roy Bhaskar’s critical-transcendental conception of human agency, situating it within both philosophical and socio-educational discourses. Bhaskar’s framework presents human agency as an intentional, real, and dynamic force, intrinsically linked to action and embedded within pre-existing social structures. Unlike deterministic or purely voluntarist theories, his approach acknowledges that agents operate within structural constraints while simultaneously possessing the capacity to reproduce, modify, or even radically transform these structures. This dialectical relationship between agency and structure is central to Bhaskar’s critical realism, which seeks to reconcile the ontological reality of social systems with the transformative potential of human action. Through transcendental analysis—a method that investigates the necessary conditions for phenomena to exist—Bhaskar identifies a multi-layered human ontology consisting of four interdependent dimensions: material nature, social structure, interpersonal relations, and the inner embodied personality. By integrating insights from critical theory, Bhaskar emphasizes the emancipatory potential of human agency, arguing that individuals and collectives can interpret, critique, and ultimately reshape a world marked by persistent crises across these four levels. His focus extends beyond mere individual self-actualization to encompass collective liberation, envisioning a eudaimonistic society where human flourishing is realized through both personal development and structural transformation. This perspective challenges reductionist views of agency, instead presenting it as a complex, emergent phenomenon that operates within and upon historically constituted social realities.
The educational implications of Bhaskar’s theory are profound, offering a robust framework for rethinking pedagogical goals, principles, and methodologies. At the level of educational objectives, his approach advocates for a dual emphasis on enlightenment—understood as critical consciousness—and global self-realization, wherein learners develop not only their cognitive and creative capacities but also their ethical and social agency. Such an education transcends mere knowledge transmission, aiming instead to cultivate individuals who can navigate, question, and transform oppressive structures. In terms of pedagogical principles, Bhaskar’s model underscores the importance of fostering intentional agency through dialogical and participatory learning environments, where students actively engage with knowledge rather than passively receive it. This involves nurturing critical agency—helping learners recognize and challenge ideological and structural constraints—while simultaneously promoting deep self-awareness and reflexivity. Additionally, education must facilitate multi-layered cognition, enabling students to understand the interplay between material conditions, social institutions, interpersonal dynamics, and personal identity. A justice-oriented approach is also essential, as Bhaskar’s framework insists on education as a means of advancing liberation, equity, and collective well-being. Furthermore, his theory highlights the role of intuition and creativity in the learning process, advocating for pedagogies that value imaginative exploration alongside rational critique. Methodologically, this translates into employing creative intuition—allowing learners to generate novel insights and solutions—and explanatory critique, a tool for uncovering and dismantling hidden mechanisms of domination within social and educational systems. The teacher-student relationship, within this framework, becomes a collaborative and transformative space, where authority is not imposed but co-constructed through mutual inquiry.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Bhaskar’s critical-transcendental perspective positions education as a vital force for both individual empowerment and societal transformation, bridging the gap between personal growth and structural change in the pursuit of a more just and emancipated world. This research has demonstrated that by understanding human agency as intentional, ontologically real, and embedded within dynamic social structures, educational practices can be re-envisioned to cultivate critical consciousness, foster multi-layered cognition, and promote collective liberation. The implications extend to fostering intentional agency through dynamic learning environments, nurturing self-awareness, advancing justice, and integrating creative intuition and explanatory critique into pedagogical methodologies. By adopting Bhaskar's framework, educators can move beyond traditional models of knowledge transmission to create spaces where learners actively engage in interpreting, critiquing, and transforming their world. This comprehensive approach to education, rooted in a profound understanding of human agency, promises to empower individuals to not only realize their full potential but also to contribute actively to the creation of a more equitable and flourishing society.

Keywords

• Human agency
• critical-transcendental agency
• Bhaskar
• education

Main Subjects

• Foundations of Education

---

References

Afrogh, E. (2019). The relationship between theory and practice from ancient sages to critical realism. Humanities and Cultural Studies Research Institute.

Archer, M. (1995). Realist social theory: The morphogenetic approach. Cambridge University Press.

Arendt, H., & Canovan, M. (1998). The Human Condition: Second Edition. University of Chicago Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=1-kBjcPieJwC

Bagheri, K., Sajadieh, N., & Tavassoli, T. (2011). Research approaches and methods in philosophy of education. Tehran: Institute for Cultural and Social Studies.(In Persian).

Bhaskar, R. (1978). A Realist Theory of Science. Harvester Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=db5nnAEACAAJ

Bhaskar, R. (1989). Reclaiming reality: a critical introduction to contemporary philosophy (Vol. 55). Verso.

Bhaskar, R. (2008). Dialectic: The pulse of freedom. Routledge.

Bhaskar, R. (2009a). Plato etc: problems of philosophy and their resolution. Routledge.

Bhaskar, R. (2009b). Scientific realism and human emancipation. Routledge.

Bhaskar, R. (2013). Reflections on metaReality: Transcendence, emancipation and everyday life. Routledge.

Bhaskar, R. (2020). Critical realism and the ontology of persons. Journal of Critical Realism, 19(2), 113-120.

Bhaskar, R., & Hartwig, M. (2016). Enlightened common sense: The philosophy of critical realism. Routledge.

Bourdieu, P. (1990). The logic of practice. Stanford university press.

Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society Polity Press. Cambridge (oorspronkelijke uitgave 1984).

Moeni, A. J. (2009). New critical theory: Beyond postmodernism and pos-critical thinking.

Norrie, A. W. (2015). Dialectics and difference Alam Publications.

Pleasants, N. (2002). Wittgenstein and the idea of a critical social theory: A critique of Giddens, Habermas and Bhaskar. Routledge.

Poorkarimi, M., Saadeghzaadeh, A., Baagheri, K., & Mehrmohammadi, M. (2015). Bhaskar's Views on Transcendental-Critical Research in Education. Quarterly Journal of Education, 31(2), 9-38.

Reeves, C. (2013). Freedom, dialectic and philosophical anthropology. Journal of Critical Realism, 12(1), 13-44.

Scott, D., & Bhaskar, R. (2015). Roy Bhaskar: A theory of education. Springer.

Shaabani, V. B. (2007). Transcendental realism and false dualism in educational research.

Stutchbury, K. (2022). Critical realism: An explanatory framework for small-scale qualitative studies or an ‘unhelpful edifice’? International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 45(2), 113-128.

Tohidi-Nasab, Z., & Foruzandeh, M. (2013). Critical realism: Social ontology and the possibility of empirical verification in social sciences. Bostan Ketab.

Zand, A., Mehrmohammadi, M., & Fardanesh, H. (2016). Educational Implications of the Concept of Powerful Knowledge for Curriculum Theory. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 11(42), 1-30.

Zarei Dehbaghi, A., Zarghami Hamrah, S., Ghaedi, Y., & Bagheri Noopart, Kh. . (2017). Research goals in social sciences from the perspective of critical realism; An interdisciplinary perspective. Quarterly Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities.