Rationality and the unit of action
This paper examines the idea of an extended unit of action, which is the idea that the reasons for or against an individual action can depend on the qualities of a larger pattern of action of which it is a part. One concept of joint action is that the unit of action can be extended in this sense....
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer
2011
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1492/ |
| _version_ | 1848790616624857088 |
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| author | Woodard, Christopher |
| author_facet | Woodard, Christopher |
| author_sort | Woodard, Christopher |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This paper examines the idea of an extended unit of action, which is the idea that the
reasons for or against an individual action can depend on the qualities of a larger pattern of action
of which it is a part. One concept of joint action is that the unit of action can be extended in this
sense. But the idea of an extended unit of action is surprisingly minimal in its commitments. The
paper argues for this conclusion by examining uses of the idea of an extended unit of action in
four theoretical contexts. It also explains why the idea of an extended unit of action need not
involve magical thinking, and discusses possible replies to an objection based on a worry about
recklessness. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:15:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-1492 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:15:27Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Springer |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-14922020-05-04T20:24:39Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1492/ Rationality and the unit of action Woodard, Christopher This paper examines the idea of an extended unit of action, which is the idea that the reasons for or against an individual action can depend on the qualities of a larger pattern of action of which it is a part. One concept of joint action is that the unit of action can be extended in this sense. But the idea of an extended unit of action is surprisingly minimal in its commitments. The paper argues for this conclusion by examining uses of the idea of an extended unit of action in four theoretical contexts. It also explains why the idea of an extended unit of action need not involve magical thinking, and discusses possible replies to an objection based on a worry about recklessness. Springer 2011 Article PeerReviewed Woodard, Christopher (2011) Rationality and the unit of action. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 2 (2). pp. 261-277. ISSN ISSN: 1878-5158 (print version) ISSN: 1878-5166 (electronic version) http://www.springerlink.com/content/dlp300l01664000n/ doi:10.1007/s13164-011-0058-z doi:10.1007/s13164-011-0058-z |
| spellingShingle | Woodard, Christopher Rationality and the unit of action |
| title | Rationality and the unit of action |
| title_full | Rationality and the unit of action |
| title_fullStr | Rationality and the unit of action |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rationality and the unit of action |
| title_short | Rationality and the unit of action |
| title_sort | rationality and the unit of action |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1492/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1492/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1492/ |