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TheActsofOurBeing:AReflectionOn
AgencyandResponsibility
Pols,Edward.
UniversityofMassachusettsPress
0870233548
9780870233548
9780585142197
English
Agent(Philosophy),Responsibility,
Knowledge,Theoryof.
1982
BD450.P5771982eb
128/.4
Agent(Philosophy),Responsibility,
Knowledge,Theoryof.
Pagei
TheActsofOurBeing
AReflectiononAgencyandResponsibility
EdwardPols
TheUniversityofMassachusettsPressAmherst,1982
Pageii
Copyright©1982byEdwardPols
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LC81-16319ISBN0-87023-354-8
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
appearonthelastprintedpageofthisbook.
Pageiii
CONTENTS
Preface
I
TheQuestionoftheAuthenticityofResponsibility
vii
1
1.ThePrimaFacieExplanatoryValueofRationalAction
2.ContemporaryDoubtsabouttheAuthenticityof
Responsibility
3.TwoWaysofSettlingtheQuestionandaViaMedia
4.AnAnticipatorySupposition:TheNatureofRational
Action
II
TheMetaphysicalConditionsofOnticResponsibility
1.OnticResponsibility,MoralResponsibility,Social
Responsibility,andLegalResponsibility
2.PrimaFacieRationalActionandtheConditionsofOntic
Responsibility
3.TheConditionsofOnticDependence,CausalPower,and
OnticPower
4.TheConditionsofExplanatoryUltimacyand
ExplanatoryOpacity
5.TheConditionsofPartialDeterminatenessandPositive
Indeterminateness(OnticPotentiality)
6.TheConditionofRationalObligation
24
7.TheConditionofOnticallySignificantAppearance
8.DegreeofOnticResponsibility
9.SocialConsequencesoftheRejectionofOntic
Responsibility
III
TheFoundationQuestionReopened:TheCircleofAction 59
andKnowledge
1.TheIneluctableCircle:PrimaFacieRationalActionand
OurPrimaFacieKnowledgeofIt
2.TowardsaReflexiveExploitationoftheCircle
3.TheQuestionofaFoundationforKnowledge
4.TheCrypto
Pageiv
foundationalConsensusaboutLanguage
5.TheTrueFoundationalTaskandtheRoleofLanguage
6.AnInterpersonalReflectiononOurPrimaFacie
KnowledgeofRationalAction
IV
TheConditionsFulfilled:AReflexiveVindication
112
1.ThePrimary-ReflexiveNatureoftheEnterprise
2.AnInterpersonalReflectiononPrimaFacieRational
Action
3.TheCircleTransformed:TheRadicalAutonomyofthe
ReflexiveRationalAgent
4.TheEpistemologyofReflexiveRationalAction:A
PracticalPostulate
V
ManifestImagevs.OnticallySignificantAppearance
1.ThePhysicalistManifestImage(PMI)Doctrine
Defined
2.RationalActionastheGroundofExplanation
3.AnAncestorofthePhysicalistManifestImage
Doctrine:AncientAtomism
4.MacrostructuresasAppearancesinanIdealPMI
Doctrine
5.TheRoleofSubjectivityintheFullConcretenessof
RationalAction
142
6.TheSelf-SubvertingCharacteroftheAssessmentof
PrimaFacieRationalActionasMereAppearance(asPMI
Macroscopic)
7.RationalActionastheGroundofOnticAssessment
VI
RationalActionandItsPhysiologicalBasis
1.AnIdealTheoryoftheIdentityofRationalActionwith
ItsPhysiologicalBasis
2.TheIdealTheoryRefined:TheRealSingleReferentin
SuchanIdentity
3.PreparingtoRefutetheIdentityTheory:SelfReferentialRationalActs
4.Refutation(A):TheProblemofExplainingSelfReferentialActsbyProductiveCorrelations
5.Refutation(B):TheProblemofExplainingSelfReferentialRationalActsbyPredictiveCorrelations
6.Refutation(C):TheSelf-RefutingCharacterofa
DefenseofIdentityTheoryThatAttacksthePrimaFacie
FeaturesofSelf-ReferentialRationalActs
7.Refutation(D):TheParadoxArisingfromthe
ExpressionofanRAinaPB-Language;thePersistent
DualismofRAandPB
8.Refutation(E):TheRequirementThattheIdentityof
RAandPBBePropoundedintheRA-Language;the
PersistencewithintheRA-LanguageofaDistinction
betweenRAandPB
9.CausalityandtheAuthenticityoftheRationalAgent
168
Pagev
VII
ParticipantPowers:TheOntologyoftheRationalAgent
191
1.TheConditionofOnticDependenceandtheTraditional
SubstanceProblem
2.RationalAgentsasPrimaryBeings
3.AgainstaRadicalPluralismofActs:AnAmbiguityin
theParticularityofRationalActs
4.TheSelf-IdentityofRationalAgentsRegardedas
PrimaryBeings
5.Self-IdentityasaProblemfortheRationalAgent
6.AgainstaRadicalPluralismofAgents:AnAmbiguity
intheParticularityoftheOnticallyResponsibleRational
Agent
Notes
213
Index
231
Pagevii
PREFACE
Theissuethisbookdealswithisfartooimportanttobeleftto
professionalacademicphilosophers.Bysayingthat,Iintendno
discourtesytothem,forpartofmebelongstotheircompany.Ifthe
issuewereoneforwhichtheycouldindeedobtain"results,"ascertain
professionscanobtainresultsintheirfieldsandimpartthemtothe
restofus,weshouldallhavetoabidebytheirpronouncements,no
matterhowunpalatablewemightfindthem.Buttheissueiswhether
weareauthenticallywhatmostofthetimewetakeourselvesto
beresponsiblerationalagents,andthatissuenotonlyistheconcernof
allthinkingpersonsbutalsofallswithintheircompetenceinthe
sense,bynomeansobviousoreasytoexpress,thatthisbookis
designedtoestablish.Ifthatshouldbeso,andatthispointIaskthe
readeronlytoentertainthatpossibility,anyonewhoshouldventureto
settleitbydismissingasamereappearance,orasaprescientificand
archaicdelusion,theveryperspectivewithinwhichtheissuearises
wouldhavemissedthepointofit.Bynomeansallprofessionalstake
thisline.Some,however,do;andifwesupposethemtospeakwith
authority,wemayfailtogivedueweighttothenonprofessional
authorityeachthinkingpersonhasinthematter.
Thecommonthinkingview,althoughmuchdisturbedoflatebywhat
areperceivedastheimplicationsofscience,isstillthatweareindeed
responsiblerationalagents.Butallwhohavegoneintothematter,
encounteredallthefamiliardifficulties,and,likeMilton'sreasoning
angels(fallenangels,asithappens),"foundnoend,inwand'ring
mazeslost,"mustoccasionallybetemptedtothinkotherwise.If,after
havingbeenthroughsomethingofthatkind,Istillrejoicetoconcur
withthecommonthinker,Iamneverthelesswellawarethatonemust