Action Theory, Rationality and Compulsion

Name: Action Theory, Rationality and Compulsion
Price: 8.37 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780199214853

ISBN-10: 0199214859

ISBN-13: 9780199214853

Edition: 2007

Authors: Lennart Nordenfelt

List price: $61.00

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This book has three basic purposes. First, it is an introduction to philosophical action theory. Second, the book offers a development of certain crucial notions within action theory, i.e. the notions of ability, rationality, and compulsion. These notions are particularly relevant for the third purpose which is to analyze the concepts of health and mental disorder. The main pathological feature in focus here is delusion. Delusion involves some defect in the subject's understanding of the world. In the book it is argued that delusions normally rationalize actions perfectly well in the light of the action-theoretic machinery spelt out. Delusions can, however, be said to be defective in the…

Book details

List price: $61.00
Copyright year: 2007
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
Publication date: 6/21/2007
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 224
Size: 6.14" wide x 9.21" long x 0.47" tall
Weight: 0.770
Language: English



Preface


General introduction



Prolegomena to action theory and the theory of health



Elements of the philosophy of action



Introduction



Action theory and its complications



The nature of actions: actions and intentions



A modern theory of mind and matter



Actions and descriptions: the relation between intentions and actions



Action-types and action-instances



Actions under different descriptions



From simple actions to complex actions



Actions: their results and consequences



On complexes of actions



On the individuation of action-instances and of action-types



Actions that do not involve bodily movements



Rational actions and norms of actions



To perform an action and to perform an action well



Summary concerning classification of actions



On the possibilities for action: ability, opportunity, and competence



Introduction



Conditions of success



On not being able to act



On dependencies between abilities



On first- and second-order abilities



On different levels of ability



The distinction between a physical and a mental aspect of ability



On ability, know-how, and competence



Towards a theory of health and illness



Health as ability to realize vital goals



On the notions of disease, malady, and illness



On mental actions and mental health



On the understanding and explanation of actions



Introduction



On understanding actions



On explanation of actions



The relation between wants and intentions: a practical syllogism of wants



The intentional explanatory schema applied



A critique of the classical model: John Searle



Irrationality, compulsion, and mental disorder



Reasons for action and rationality



Introduction



On intentions and actions



On reasons for actions: good reasons, conclusive reasons, defective reasons, no reasons



A note on the concept of belief



On various levels of psychological reality of wants and beliefs



On defective rationalization of action



Introduction



Preliminary interpretations of the notion of a defective reason for action



Defective parts of a PSW: the case of defective beliefs



On defective wants: the idea of an irrational want



A summary of senses of irrational beliefs and wants



On the notion of defective rationalization of actions, where the parts of the PSW are not irrational in any of the senses described



Towards a theory of mental disorder: the place of compulsion



Introduction



On species of pathological irrationality: the central role of compulsion



On the notion of compulsion and its species: Aristotle, Wertheimer, and Audi



Towards a new analysis of compulsion



Introduction



A starting-point: the practical syllogisms



The idea of fixation



The case of coercion



Compulsion as a matter of degree



The idea of strong desires



On the notion of a compelling fact



On unavoidability and ability



Summary



Compulsion and specific mental disorders



A meeting point for action theory and psychiatry: the phenomenon of delusion



General remarks on mental illness and compulsion



A study of some psychiatric diagnoses involving compulsion



Summary



Epilogue



Summary of basic concept


Glossary


References


Index