Single Idea 20029

[catalogued under 20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / c. Reasons as causes]

Full Idea

Most causalists allow that reason explanations are teleological, but say that such purposive explanations are analysable causally, where the primary reasons for the act are the guiding causes of the act.

Gist of Idea

Causalists allow purposive explanations, but then reduce the purpose to the action's cause

Source

Wilson,G/Schpall,S (Action [2012], 3)

Book Reference

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.11


A Reaction

The authors observe that it is hard to adjudicate on this matter, and that the concept of the 'cause' of an action is unclear.