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Deliberation and Desire
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It seems very plausible that actions are done as a result of the agent’s desire for something. At the same time we sometimes act on the basis of our practical deliberation. But it is hard to fit these thoughts together. Reasoning on the basis of the thought “I want phi” can take place whether or not this premise is true. It would be the same even if this thought were false, in which case the explanation of the resulting action would be the same even if the agent did not actually want phi. At the same time, if one acts on the basis of one’s deliberation it seems to follow that one wanted whatever it was one was aiming at. So apparently in this case the thought “I want phi” must be true, even self-verifying. This paper proposes a solution to these puzzles.
Title: Deliberation and Desire
Description:
It seems very plausible that actions are done as a result of the agent’s desire for something.
At the same time we sometimes act on the basis of our practical deliberation.
But it is hard to fit these thoughts together.
Reasoning on the basis of the thought “I want phi” can take place whether or not this premise is true.
It would be the same even if this thought were false, in which case the explanation of the resulting action would be the same even if the agent did not actually want phi.
At the same time, if one acts on the basis of one’s deliberation it seems to follow that one wanted whatever it was one was aiming at.
So apparently in this case the thought “I want phi” must be true, even self-verifying.
This paper proposes a solution to these puzzles.
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