Action / Rowland Stout.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stout, Rowland, author.

Series:

Central problems of philosophy.

Central problems of philosophy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Act (Philosophy).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (165 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Durham : Acumen Publishing, 2005.

Summary:

The traditional focus of debate in philosophy of action has been the causal theory of action and metaphysical questions about the nature of actions as events. This lucid and lively introduction to philosophy of action shows how these issues are subsidiary to more central ones that concern the nature of the will, practical rationality and moral psychology. By focusing on the idea that agency involves causal sensitivity to reasons, Rowland Stout shows how agency becomes one of the most useful ways into the philosophy of mind: if one can understand what it is to be a free and rational agent, then one is some way to understanding what it is to be a conscious subject of experience. Some of the questions considered include: is all action intentional action? Is intentional action characterized by its relation with possible justification? Do beliefs motivate actions, or do facts? What is the nature of the causal process of acting? Are intentions independent components in the explanation of action? Although the traditional Davidsonian agenda remains centre stage throughout, Stout locates it historically, alongside the ideas of Aristotle and Kant, and current issues of interest, like externalism, that move the debate beyond Davidson. Action is a fresh and engaging introduction to the many philosophical problems associated with agency and is ideally suited for students taking courses in philosophy of action, philosophy of mind and metaphysics.

Contents:

Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction: inward-looking and outward-looking approaches to agency; 2 Acting for a reason; 3 Reasons and passions; 4 Agent causation; 5 Mental causation; 6 Deviant causal chains and causal processes; 7 Acting with an intention; 8 Prior intention; 9 The metaphysics of action; Conclusion; Notes; Suggestions for further reading; References; Index

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 02 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on metadata supplied by the publisher and other sources.

ISBN:

9786612921551

9781602683973

1-282-92155-X

1-902683-98-6

1-315-71047-1

1-84465-354-4

1-317-48905-5

9781315710471

OCLC:

1187225946