Online research in philosophy

In what sense is a consideration of a writer's intentions relevant to the reading and appreciation of his work? In the past half century, powerful arguments have been advanced that they are not relevant at all. Patrick Swinden examines the conduct of the anti-intentionalist argument by exponents of Anglo-American new criticism, European structuralism and various kinds of post-modernist theory, and finds it wanting. He enlists the aid of Kantian aesthetics and contemporary philosophy of language and action in an attempt to reinstate mental operations leading to motivated and purposive action. The philosophical argument is reinforced by examination of the ways in which Shakespeare and other writers represent motive, intention and purpose in their work.

Antonio R. Damasio , The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness . This is clearly a must-read book for anyone wanting a neurologist's perspective on one of the greatest of the unsolved mysteries, human consciousness and the ways in which it exceeds that of the other apes. By the author of Descartes' Error.

In the subsequent pages, I want to develop a distinction between wanting and valuing which will enable the familiar view of freedom to make sense of the notion of an unfree action. The contention will be that, in the case of actions that are unfree, the agent is unable to get what he most wants, or values, and this inability is due to his own "motivational system." In this case the obstruction to the action that he most wants to do is his own will. It is in this respect that the action is unfree: the agent is obstructed in and by the very performance of the action.

Different brain mechanisms seem to mediate wanting and liking for the same reward. This may have implications for the modular nature of mental processes, and for understanding addictions, compulsions, free will and other aspects of desire. A few wanting and liking phenomena are presented here, together with discussion of some of these implications.

Abstract: Leslie Smith has examined and found wanting the Method Thesis, the Content Thesis and the Intention Thesis for accounting for indoctrination. While his conclusions seem correct, his arguments in support of them are found wanting. It is also argued that the Evaluation Thesis Smith comes down in favour of is open to those criticisms he himself levelled at the Intention Thesis.

Lucas Swaine attempts to persuade theocrats of the value of liberty of conscience. But his promotion of principles of conscience for theocratic communities reveals a divided spirit in contemporary liberalism, which is torn between wanting to respect religion as it is and wanting to reform or liberalize it.