Intention, Plans and Practical Reason (Center for the Study of Language and Information - The David Hume Series) by Michael E. Bratman

Author:Michael E. Bratman [Bratman, Michael E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CSLI
Published: 2013-03-18T00:00:00+00:00

6.5.2 The Second Variation: Reason-Changing Nonreconsideration

In the basic case the agent retains his intention through nonreflective, reason-preserving nonreconsideration. In the first variation on the basic case the agent later reconsiders and recommits himself to his initial intention. I now turn to a different variation in the link between initial formation and eventual execution of an intention. In this variation the agent does not reconsider, strictly speaking, his initial intention. But neither does he merely retain it through reason-preserving, nonreflective nonreconsideration. Rather, he retains it through a reason-changing process.

Reconsideration of a prior intention to A involves seriously reopening the question of whether so to act. As noted in Chapter 5, however, one may reaffirm one's prior intention in a way that does not involve being open to changing it, but does succeed in incorporating new considerations into one's reasons for so intending. Recall my action of heading toward concert A after having previously decided—albeit, not rationally—in favor of concert A over concert B. Suppose that as I approach concert A I stop briefly to note how close I am to that concert and how far I am from concert B. Although I do not seriously reopen the question of whether to go to concert A, I do note to myself that now concert A is certainly the better concert for me to go to; for I am now much closer to that concert than to concert B. This reaffirmation of my intention to go to concert A does not seriously reopen the question of whether to go, but it nevertheless results in a change in my reasons for so intending.20 As a result of this reaffirmation I newly incorporate into my reasons for so intending my knowledge that I am close to concert A.

Cases of deliberative nonreconsideration provide another kind of case in which there is a reason-changing process that is still not one of reconsideration. Normally one just nonreflectively refrains from reconsidering one's prior intention; one does not first deliberate about whether to reconsider and then decide not to, on the basis of this second-order deliberation. Still, there do seem to be cases of deliberating about whether to reconsider and then deciding not to. In such cases the agent need not, strictly speaking, reconsider his prior intention.21 Though he seriously raises the question of whether to reopen the question of whether to act as he now intends, he may not, strictly speaking, actually reopen the question of whether so to act. Nevertheless, his second-order reflection is a reason-changing process.

Recall my decision not to get earthquake insurance. Suppose this decision was initially irrational of me to make. But suppose that sometime after this decision I stop and deliberate about whether to reconsider this decision. And suppose that I rationally decide not to: the emotional turmoil and complex calculations involved in reconsideration would just not be worth it. So I continue to intend not to get earthquake insurance. Yet my intention is now based, in part, on a new reason: the excessive costs of reconsideration.

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