The Weakness of the Will / Edition 1

by Justin Gosling

Overview

First Published in 2004. Since before Plato, philosophers have puzzled over why it is that people will sometimes deliberately take the worst course of action. The book begins by examining the various theories put forward by Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics and a selection of medieval philosophers and discusses how and why later philosophers avoid the problem. In the second section, Justin Gosling argues that familiar ways of viewing the problem mislocate the apparent irrationality of weakness. The author then moves on to the traditional cases of being overcome by passion to argue for a further sense in which weakness may be thought irrational, and to open up an unusually wide field of examples for consideration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415034357
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/04/1990
Series:	Problems of Philosophy
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1320L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

Table of Contents

Introduction Part 1 I The Protagoras II The Plausibility of Socrates III Aristotle IV How Socratic is Aristotle? V The Stoics VI Aquinas and Others VII The Post-Medievals Part 2 VIII What is the Problem? IX Akrasia and Irrationality X Passionate Akrasia XI Moral Weakness XII Willing, Trying and Wanting XIII Varieties of Weakness XIV Epilogue

Editorial Reviews

‘(The book) is a first rate piece of work which will make a substantial contribution to the subject ... Existing discussions of these problems tend to be abstract and excessively rationalistic. Gosling brings the problems down to earth, with a rich variety of carefully drawn examples and nice distinctions....forcing the reader again and again to question common formulations and standing presumptions. The resulting view is complex but convincing' - Gene Mason, University of Minnesota

‘... required reading for anyone approaching this perennial problem.' - Philosophical Studies

From the Publisher