Prior intentions and the problem of wayward causation
S. M. Levin
National research university higher school of Economics, St. Petersburg
Keywords: theory of action, free will, moral responsibility
Abstract
For any compatibilist theory of free will basing on the naturalistic worldview, it is difficult to reconcile propositional content of intentions with their specific causal implementation. We often fulfill our prior intentions in an absolutely unexpected way; nevertheless, they result in desired consequences. Then, there arises a question whether we should treat such an action as an accidental or intentional one. To answer this question the paper uses John Searle’s taxonomy of action and considers how a description of phenomenology of action may differ from a description of its real causes. We show why cases of wayward causation are relevant just for our prior intentions and are of no significance in situations when our action is an effect of our immediate intention.
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