Application of externalism, in model from philosophy of mind, to philosophy of action
Explicit diagnosis of and resistance to foundationalism in philosophy of action
Connection of traditional concerns of philosophical study of action to moral philosophy
Revision and defence of H.L.A. Hart´s aillegalscriptivism about the nature of action
Division of philosophy of action into production issues and status issues
This book is an exploration of what it takes for an event to count as an action. I first became interested in this topic nearly a decade ago while working on a different topic. I kept coming across philosophers making claims about the nature of action that seemed false or at least dubious to me. As a consequence I turned to the philosophy of action directly, to get to the heart of the matter. I have wrestled with this territory ever since. I hope that, with this book, I have finally earned the intuitions that put me at odds with the philosophers I was originally reading. This book develops ideas in Part Two of my doctoral dissertation, which I wrote at Queen´s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I loved being at Queen´s, for both professional and personal reasons. My thanks go to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for financial support as a doctoral candidate. Steve Leighton and Ronald de Sousa were readers for my dissertation. They provided some early and invaluable challenges to the ideas developed here. My deepest debt of gratitude is owed to David Bakhurst, my supervisor. I learned a lot from David; this book would not be the same without his help.
Acknowledgements. Preface. 1. Two Questions. Appendix I: The Status Question: What to Look For? 2. Aillegalscriptivism Resurrected: The Case for Aillegalscriptivism. 3. Aillegalscriptivism Defended: The Case Against Aillegalscriptivism. Appendix II: An Alternative Reading of Hart. 4. Responsibility and Causation I: Legal Responsibility. 5. Responsibility and Causation II: Moral Responsibility. 6. Foundationalism and the Production Question. 7. Foundationalism and the Status Question: Strong Productionism. Appendix III: Reflections on the Pursuit of a Causal Analysis of Action. 8. Nouveau Volitionism. 9. Weak Productionism. 10. Concluding Reflections on Aillegalscriptivism and Action. BIBLIOGRAPHY. INDEX.
What makes an event count as an action? Typical answers appeal to the way in which the event was produced: e.g., perhaps an arm movement is an action when caused by mental states (in particular ways), but not when caused in other ways. Andrew Sneddon argues that this type of answer, which he calls "productionism", is methodologically and substantially mistaken. In particular, productionist answers to this question tend to be either individualistic or foundationalist, or both, without explicit defence. Instead, Sneddon offers an externalist, anti-foundationalist account of what makes an event count as an action, which he calls neo-aillegalscriptivism, after the work of H.L.A. Hart. Specifically, Sneddon argues that our practices of attributing moral responsibility to each other are at least partly constitutive of events as actions.
From the reviews:
"Studies in the philosophy of action have predominantly aimed to provide theories of how the action is explained or produced. ... Sneddon aims to undermine this approach by separating out two fundamental questions that he argues should be distinguished in formulating theories of action. ... The clear and methodical way the book is set out ensures that a reader unfamiliar with this philosophical territory can easily engage with the text and its main arguments ... . This is well-constructed, thoroughly argued addition ... ." (Natalie F. Banner, Metapsychology Online Reviews, September, 2007)
This book is an exploration of what it takes for an event to count as an action. I first became interested in this topic nearly a decade ago while working on a different topic. I kept coming across philosophers making claims about the nature of action that seemed false or at least dubious to me. As a consequence I turned to the philosophy of action directly, to get to the heart of the matter. I have wrestled with this territory ever since. I hope that, with this book, I have finally earned the intuitions that put me at odds with the philosophers I was originally reading. This book develops ideas in Part Two of my doctoral dissertation, which I wrote at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I loved being at Queen's, for both professional and personal reasons. My thanks go to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for financial support as a doctoral candidate. Steve Leighton and Ronald de Sousa were readers for my dissertation. They provided some early and invaluable challenges to the ideas developed here. My deepest debt of gratitude is owed to David Bakhurst, my supervisor. I learned a lot from David; this book would not be the same without his help.
Two Questions.- Aillegalscriptivism Resurrected: The Case for Aillegalscriptivism.- Aillegalscriptivism Defended: The Case Against Aillegalscriptivism.- Responsibility and Causation I: Legal Responsibility.- Responsibility and Causation II: Moral Responsibility.- Foundationalism and the Production Question.- Foundationalism and the Status Question: Strong Productionism.- Nouveau Volitionism.- Weak Productionism.- Concluding Reflections on Aillegalscriptivism and Action.
From the reviews:
"Studies in the philosophy of action have predominantly aimed to provide theories of how the action is explained or produced. ... Sneddon aims to undermine this approach by separating out two fundamental questions that he argues should be distinguished in formulating theories of action. ... The clear and methodical way the book is set out ensures that a reader unfamiliar with this philosophical territory can easily engage with the text and its main arguments ... . This is well-constructed, thoroughly argued addition ... ." (Natalie F. Banner, Metapsychology Online Reviews, September, 2007)
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Acknowledgements. Preface. 1. Two Questions. Appendix I: The Status Question: What to Look For? 2. Aillegalscriptivism Resurrected: The Case for Aillegalscriptivism. 3. Aillegalscriptivism Defended: The Case Against Aillegalscriptivism. Appendix II: An Alternative Reading of Hart. 4. Responsibility and Causation I: Legal Responsibility. 5. Responsibility and Causation II: Moral Responsibility. 6. Foundationalism and the Production Question. 7. Foundationalism and the Status Question: Strong Productionism. Appendix III: Reflections on the Pursuit of a Causal Analysis of Action. 8. Nouveau Volitionism. 9. Weak Productionism. 10. Concluding Reflections on Aillegalscriptivism and Action. BIBLIOGRAPHY. INDEX.
Klappentext
This book is an exploration of what it takes for an event to count as an action. I first became interested in this topic nearly a decade ago while working on a different topic. I kept coming across philosophers making claims about the nature of action that seemed false or at least dubious to me. As a consequence I turned to the philosophy of action directly, to get to the heart of the matter. I have wrestled with this territory ever since. I hope that, with this book, I have finally earned the intuitions that put me at odds with the philosophers I was originally reading. This book develops ideas in Part Two of my doctoral dissertation, which I wrote at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I loved being at Queen's, for both professional and personal reasons. My thanks go to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for financial support as a doctoral candidate. Steve Leighton and Ronald de Sousa were readers for my dissertation. They provided some early and invaluable challenges to the ideas developed here. My deepest debt of gratitude is owed to David Bakhurst, my supervisor. I learned a lot from David; this book would not be the same without his help.
Application of externalism, in model from philosophy of mind, to philosophy of action
Explicit diagnosis of and resistance to foundationalism in philosophy of action
Connection of traditional concerns of philosophical study of action to moral philosophy
Revision and defence of H.L.A. Hart's aillegalscriptivism about the nature of action
Division of philosophy of action into production issues and status issues
