Halfhearted Action and Control

• Published in: Ergo (Ann Arbor, Mich.) Vol. 4; no. 20201214
• Main Author: Shepherd, Joshua
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: United States Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library 01-01-2017
• ISSN: 2330-4014; 2330-4014
• DOI: 10.3998/ergo.12405314.0004.009

Some of the things we do intentionally we do halfheartedly. I develop and defend an account of halfheartedness with respect to action on which one is halfhearted with respect to an action A if one's overall motivation to A is weak. This requires getting clear on what it is to have some level of overall motivation with respect to an action, and on what it means to say one's overall motivation is weak or strong. After developing this account, I defend the claim that one key functional expression of halfhearted action is the possession of impaired control over the action in question. Finally, I elucidate a puzzle that sometimes arises with respect to halfhearted action. The puzzle arises when an agent's commitment in acting conflicts with an agent's acceptance of poor performance.