Philosophy of Action: An Introduction

by Goulder, Naomi; Schlosser, Markus E.

• ISBN13: 9781441145215
• ISBN10: 1441145214
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2015-10-22
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

Philosophy of Action provides an accessible and contemporary introduction to the analytic philosophy of action.

Opening with a systematic overview of the main philosophical theories on the nature of human agency, subsequent chapters introduce and discuss the main themes in the traditional and contemporary philosophy of action. Are the reasons for which we act the causes of our movements? What is the nature of intention and intentional action? How does the philosophy of action inform theorizing about autonomy, free will, and moral responsibility? This up-to-date introduction concludes with an overview of recent empirical research on conscious control and intentional action, discussing the philosophical significance of findings from psychology and cognitive neuroscience.

Featuring chapter overviews and summaries, open questions for further study and a list of further readings, Philosophy of Action is a valuable resource for undergraduates as well as postgraduates and researchers.

Author Biography

Markus E. Schlosser is Research Fellow at the University of Leiden, Department of Philosophy, The Netherlands. His current research concerns empirical challenges to philosophical theories of free will and intentional action.

Naomi Goulder is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at New College of the Humanities. She did her PhD at the University of London and her research is at the intersection of philosophy of action and ethics. She was a general editor of the Continuum Encyclopedia of British Philosophy.

Table of Contents

1. Doing Something: Key Concepts and Preliminary Remarks \ 2. The Metaphysics of Agency \ 3. Reasons and Causes: The Explanation of Action \ 4. Intentions and Intentional Action \ 5. Autonomy and Free Will \ 6. Empirical Evidence and Empirical Theories \ Bibliography \ Index