green numbers give full details | back to texts | unexpand this idea
| 22393 | I don't understand the idea of a reason for acting, but it is probably the agent's interests or desires |
| Full Idea: I am sure I do not understand the idea of a reason for acting, and I wonder whether anyone else does either. I incline to the view that all such reasons depend either on the agent's interests (meaning here what is in his interest) or else on his desires. | |||
| From: Philippa Foot (Reasons for Actions and Desires [1972], p.156 Post) | |||
| A reaction: It seems common to assume that a reason for an action must be something rational, but it makes sense to say that the reason for someone's action was an irrational whim. Is the reason for an action just the cause of the action? |