Rationality Through Reasoning [Hardcover]

Rationality Through Reasoning answers the question of how people are motivated to do what they believe they ought to do, built on a comprehensive account of normativity, rationality and reasoning that differs significantly from much existing philosophical thinking.

• Develops an original account of normativity, rationality and reasoning significantly different from the majority of existing philosophical thought
• Includes an account of theoretical and practical reasoning that explains how reasoning is something we ourselves do, rather than something that happens in us
• Gives an account of what reasons are and argues that the connection between rationality and reasons is much less close than many philosophers have thought
• Contains rigorous new accounts of oughts including owned oughts, agent-relative reasons, the logic of requirements, instrumental rationality, the role of normativity in reasoning, following a rule, the correctness of reasoning, the connections between intentions and beliefs, and much else.
• Offers a new answer to the motivation question of how a normative belief motivates an action.

Preface xi

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Motivation 1

1.2 This book 4

Notes 6

2 Ought 8

2.1 The meaning of ought 8

2.2 Normative and non-normative oughts 9

2.3 Owned and unowned oughts 12

2.4 Qualified and unqualified oughts 25

Notes 29

3 Objective, Subjective and Prospective Oughts 31

3.1 Sidgwicks View 31

3.2 The need to decide 34

3.3 Objective and prospective oughts 36<l³!