Motivation
Edited by Joshua May (University of Alabama, Birmingham)
About this topic
Summary | Philosophers often treat motivation in connection with desire, given that they often use the term "desire" to refer to mental states that are in essence motivational. This does not necessarily lead to the theory that we are all ultimately self-interested (psychological egoism), since our ultimate desires could concern the welfare of others. And some believe motivation can be generated by states other than desire, such as belief, imagination, or intentions. Still, many share the view often labelled psychologism: motivation, even acting on reasons, must involve psychological states of some sort or other. After all, how could the fact that there is salmon on the table motivate me to consume it unless I at least believe this and want some salmon? Not everyone buys into a tight connection between mental states and motivation, however. Some seek to make an exception at least for rational action, which not all animals can exhibit. Proponents of anti-psychologism maintain that we don't need mental states at all in the causation and explanation of rational action. When we act on good reasons, for example, perhaps we can be motivated by something like the contents of those states---the propositions believed or desired. Settling this dispute doesn't exhaust the philosophical issues surrounding motivation, but they are largely taken up in other categories. |
Key works | Davidson 1963 and Smith 1987 are contemporary and already classic pieces connecting motivation and desire, though couched in terms of reasons. They build on ideas in Anscombe 1957 (see her shopping list example, section 32). Anti-psychologism has clearly and explicitly been defended by Dancy (1995; 2000). |
Introductions | Ch. 1 of Mele 2003 provides a comprehensive introduction to motivation, along with a useful glossary of terms (or see Mele 1995). The entries by Schroeder 2009 and Pettit 1998 cover desire, but they are useful introductions to motivation. Lenman 2010 (esp. sects. 5-6) discusses psychologism and related views. |
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Related categories
Siblings:
- Free Will (10,158 | 257)
- Compulsion and Addiction (317)
- The Will (265)
- Weakness of Will (266)
- Volition (55)
- Motivation and Will, Misc (57)
- Desire and Motivation (274)
- Moral Motivation (363)
- Altruism and Psychological Egoism (253)
- Desire as Belief (43)
- Desire Ascriptions (40)
- Reasons and Causes (688)
- Hume: Motivation (25)
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