Single Idea 23740

[catalogued under 20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / a. Practical reason]

Full Idea

The distinctive Humean view of normative reasons for action is that the rational thing for an agent to do is simply to act so as to maximally satisfy her desires, whatever the content of those desires.

Gist of Idea

Humeans take maximising desire satisfaction as the normative reasons for actions

Source

Michael Smith (The Moral Problem [1994], 5.1)

Book Reference

Smith,Michael: 'The Moral Problem' [Blackwell 1994], p.130


A Reaction

Smith disagrees with this view (though he agrees with Hume about motivating reasons). An obvious problem for the Humean view would be a strong desire to do something excessively dangerous.

Related Idea

Idea 23733 Motivating reasons are psychological, while normative reasons are external [Smith,M]