Autonomous Agents From Self-Control to Autonomy

by Mele, Alfred R.

• ISBN13: 9780195150438
• ISBN10: 0195150430
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-10-04
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This book addresses two related topics: self-control and individual autonomy. In approaching these issues, Mele develops a conception of an ideally self-controlled person, and argues that even such a person can fall short of personal autonomy. He then examines what needs to be added to such aperson to yield an autonomous agent and develops two overlapping answers: one for compatibilist believers in human autonomy and one for incompatibilists. While remaining neutral between those who hold that autonomy is compatible with determinism and those who deny this, Mele shows that belief thatthere are autonomous agents is better grounded than belief that there are not.

Table of Contents

PART I
Introduction: Self-Control and Personal Autonomy	3	(12)
Better Judgment: Nature and Function	15	(17)
Exercising Self-Control: A Motivational Problem	32	(27)
Self-Control, Akrasia, and Second-Order Desires	59	(27)
Self-Control and Belief	86	(16)
Self-Control, Akrasia, and Emotion	102	(10)
The Upper Reaches of Self-Control and the Ideally Self-Controlled Person	112	(19)
PART II
Transition: From Self-Control to Autonomy	131	(13)
Psychological Autonomy and Personal History	144	(33)
Compatibilist Autonomy and Autonomous Action	177	(18)
Problems for Libertarians	195	(16)
Incompatibilist Autonomy and Autonomous Action	211	(26)
Assessing the Denial of Autonomy	237	(20)
References	257	(8)
Index	265