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This work outlines the fundamentals of a new theory of action, drawing on philosophical pragmatism. It is based upon the author's study of G.H. Mead, but also establishes direct ties between Mead's work and approaches drawn from German traditions of philosophical anthropology. A major feature of Hans Joas's theory is an emphasis on the creative character of human action. Human activity is not coincidentally, but in a fundamental sense, creative. The book contains new discussions of the nature of human intentions, the embodied character of human action and the character of intersubjectivity. The problem of action is of crucial importance in both sociology and philosophy, and this book - widely debated in Germany - should contribute to discussions current in the English-speaking world.