A Companion to the Philosophy of Action - 9781118346327

"An essential guidebook not just for philosophers of action but for anyone whose work engages conceptual or empirical questions about human action. This comprehensive volume boasts a long list of first-class contributors - O'Connor and Sandis deserve hearty thanks and congratulations for this massively impressive and helpful volume." E. J. Coffman, University of Tennessee

"This Companion is a welcome addition to philosophical literature, asserting a kind of sovereignty over a territory often visited in philosophical discussions of mind, ethics and metaphysics, but not given any kind of independence. In asking us to regard the human action not merely as a part of other areas of philosophical investigation, but as one worth considering on its own, this Companion should be applauded. One particularly good feature of the book is that all the entries are substantial: while one can treat it as a reference work, readers will find it rewarding to read straight through the entries in a given section." Samuel Guttenplan, Birkbeck, University of London

A Companion to the Philosophy of Action provides a comprehensive overview of the central issues and processes relating to human actions. Specially commissioned chapters from international experts cover all facets of philosophy of action - from key figures and terminology to some of the more controversial problems in the field.

Divided into thematic sections, the book begins by examining ontological and conceptual issues regarding the nature of action, its description and individuation, and its motivation and causation. Later sections focus on a range of ideas and doctrines associated with action theory, including rationality, free will and determinism, virtuous action, criminal responsibility, attribution theory, and rational agency from an evolutionary perspective. Individual chapters also cover prominent historic figures from Plato to Ricœur.

A Companion to the Philosophy of Action offers rich insights into an area of philosophical thought that has attracted thinkers since the time of the ancient Greeks.