Practical Reason and Motivational Imperfection

Abstract

I examine the dispute between Bernard Williams and John McDowell concerning internal and external reasons. McDowell's Aristotelian view does not connect practical reasons to the actual motivational sets of agents, as Williams does, but to the motivational set of some ideal or improved agent. Williams objects that this approach gives insensitive recommendations to motivationally imperfect agents and any attempt to remedy this insensitivity will involve collapsing back into Williams's internalism. I argue that Williams's objection fails. I present a more comprehensive understanding of how the motivationally imperfect agent might deliberate that does not collapse back into internalism.