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Reasons for action : making a difference to the security of outcomes

Gunnemyr, Mattias LU orcid and Touborg, Caroline Torpe LU (2023) In Philosophical Studies 180(1). p.333-362
Abstract

In this paper, we present a new account of teleological reasons, i.e. reasons to perform a particular action because of the outcomes it promotes. Our account gives the desired verdict in a number of difficult cases, including cases of overdetermination and non-threshold cases like Parfit’s famous Drops of water. The key to our account is to look more closely at the metaphysics of causation. According to Touborg (The dual nature of causation, 2018), it is a necessary condition for causation that a cause increases the security of its effect. Building on this idea, we suggest, roughly, that you have a teleological reason to act in a certain way when doing so increases the security of some good outcome. This represents a middle way between... (More)

In this paper, we present a new account of teleological reasons, i.e. reasons to perform a particular action because of the outcomes it promotes. Our account gives the desired verdict in a number of difficult cases, including cases of overdetermination and non-threshold cases like Parfit’s famous Drops of water. The key to our account is to look more closely at the metaphysics of causation. According to Touborg (The dual nature of causation, 2018), it is a necessary condition for causation that a cause increases the security of its effect. Building on this idea, we suggest, roughly, that you have a teleological reason to act in a certain way when doing so increases the security of some good outcome. This represents a middle way between the proposal that you have a reason to act in a certain way just in case this would cause a good outcome and the proposal that you have a reason to act in a certain way just in case this could cause a good outcome.

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author
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Philosophical Studies
volume
180
issue
1
pages
333 - 362
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85143214637
ISSN
0031-8116
DOI
10.1007/s11098-022-01869-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9d29eda9-cd68-43cb-9e85-723680e3c23f
date added to LUP
2023-01-30 14:23:07
date last changed
2023-10-26 14:52:50
@article{9d29eda9-cd68-43cb-9e85-723680e3c23f,
  abstract     = {{<p>In this paper, we present a new account of teleological reasons, i.e. reasons to perform a particular action because of the outcomes it promotes. Our account gives the desired verdict in a number of difficult cases, including cases of overdetermination and non-threshold cases like Parfit’s famous Drops of water. The key to our account is to look more closely at the metaphysics of causation. According to Touborg (The dual nature of causation, 2018), it is a necessary condition for causation that a cause increases the security of its effect. Building on this idea, we suggest, roughly, that you have a teleological reason to act in a certain way when doing so increases the security of some good outcome. This represents a middle way between the proposal that you have a reason to act in a certain way just in case this would cause a good outcome and the proposal that you have a reason to act in a certain way just in case this could cause a good outcome.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gunnemyr, Mattias and Touborg, Caroline Torpe}},
  issn         = {{0031-8116}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{333--362}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Philosophical Studies}},
  title        = {{Reasons for action : making a difference to the security of outcomes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11098-022-01869-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11098-022-01869-4}},
  volume       = {{180}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}