Authors |
|
Abstract |
It is reasonably well accepted that the explanation of intentional action is teleological explanation. Very roughly, an explanation of some event, E, is teleological only if it explains E by citing some goal or purpose or reason that produced E. Alternatively, teleological explanations of intentional action explain “by citing the state of affairs toward which the behavior was directed” thereby answering questions like “To what end was the agent’s behavior directed?” Causalism—advocated by causalists—is the thesis that explanations of intentional action are both causal and teleological. By contrast, non-causalism—advocated by non-causalists—is the thesis that explanations of intentional action are teleological but not causal.
Familiarly, the problem of causal deviance plagues causalism. But while some have supposed that the problem is grave enough that causalism is bound to suffer a global breakdown, the rumors of causalism’s demise are greatly exaggerated. In what follows, I note that every instance of causal deviance is also an instance of teleological deviance and that teleological deviance is a problem for causalist and non-causalist alike, a problem that causalists may be better able to deal with. Or so I argue.
|
Keywords | causal deviance deviant causal chains teleological explanation |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
No references found.
Citations of this work BETA
No citations found.
Similar books and articles
An Argument Against the Causal Theory of Action Explanation.Scott R. Sehon - 2000 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 60 (1):67-85.
Deviant Causal Chains and the Irreducibility of Teleological Explanation.Scott R. Sehon - 1997 - Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 78 (2):195–213.
Goal-Directed Action: Teleological Explanations, Causal Theories, and Deviance.Alfred Mele - 2000 - Noûs 34 (s14):279 - 300.
Teleological Explanation: A Species of Causal Explanation.D. Lynn Holt - 1988 - Philosophical Psychology 1 (3):313-325.
Teleological Explanations and Their Relation to Causal Explanation in Psychology.Elizabeth R. Valentine - 1988 - Philosophical Psychology 1 (1):61-68.
Laws, Causality and the Intentional Explanation of Action.Zhu Xu - 2010 - Frontiers of Philosophy in China 5 (2):280-293.
Nondeviant Chains in Intentional Action.Robert K. Shope - 1996 - Journal of Philosophical Research 21:15-49.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2009-06-09
Total views
491 ( #17,932 of 2,497,981 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
10 ( #73,153 of 2,497,981 )
2009-06-09
Total views
491 ( #17,932 of 2,497,981 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
10 ( #73,153 of 2,497,981 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads