Weakness of Will and Practical Irrationality

Among the many practical failures that threaten us, weakness of will or akrasia is often considered to be a paradigm of irrationality. The eleven new essays in this collection, written by an excellent international team of philosophers, some well-established, some younger scholars, give a rich overview of the current debate over weakness of will and practical irrationality more...

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Among the many practical failures that threaten us, weakness of will or akrasia is often considered to be a paradigm of irrationality. The eleven new essays in this collection, written by an excellent international team of philosophers, some well-established, some younger scholars, give a rich overview of the current debate over weakness of will and practical irrationality more generally. Issues covered include classical questions such as the distinction between weakness and compulsion, the connection between evaluative judgement and motivation, the role of emotions in akrasia, rational agency, and the existence of the will. The also include new topics, such as group akrasia, strength of will, the nature of correct choice, the structure of decision theory, the temporality of prudential reasons, and emotional rationality. Because these questions cut across philosophy of mind and ethics, the collection will be essential reading for scholars, postgraduates, and upper-level undergraduates in both these fields.

Introduction1
Sarah Stroud and Christine Tappolet
1. Rational Capacities, or: How to Distinguish Recklessness, Weakness, and Compulsion17
Michael Smith
2. How is Strength of Will Possible?39
Richard Holton
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Introduction1
Sarah Stroud and Christine Tappolet
1. Rational Capacities, or: How to Distinguish Recklessness, Weakness, and Compulsion17
Michael Smith
2. How is Strength of Will Possible?39
Richard Holton
3. Akrasia, Collective and Individual68
Philip Pettit
4. Emotions and the Intelligibility of Akratic Action97
Christine Tappolet
5. Weakness of Will and Practical Judgement121
Sarah Stroud
6. Accidie, Evaluation, and Motivation147
Sergio Tenenbaum
7. The Work of the Will172
Gary Watson
8. Choosing Rationally and Choosing Correctly201
Ralph Wedgwood
9. Prudence and the Temporal Structure of Practical Reasons230
Duncan MacIntosh
10. Practical Irrationality and the Structure of Decision Theory251
Joseph Heath
11. Paradoxical Emotion: On Sui Generis Emotional Irrationality274
Ronald de Sousa
References298
Index313
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