Single Idea 20067

[catalogued under 20. Action / B. Preliminaries of Action / 1. Intention to Act / a. Nature of intentions]

Full Idea

Intentions are unlike desires. You can simultaneously desire two things that you know are incompatible. But when you form intentions you are embarking on a course of action, and there is a much stronger requirement of consistency.

Gist of Idea

You can have incompatible desires, but your intentions really ought to be consistent

Source

Rowland Stout (Action [2005], 7 'Relationship')

Book Reference

Stout,Rowland: 'Action' [Acumen 2005], p.104


A Reaction

I'm not sure why anyone would identify intentions with desires. I would quite like to visit Japan, but have no current intention of doing so. I assume that the belief-plus-desire theory doesn't deny that an uninteresting intention is also needed.