Prichard on Causing a Change

Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement 80:127-138 (2017)
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Abstract

This paper starts by considering an interesting argument of H.A. Prichard’s against the view that to act is to cause a change; the argument is that causing is not an activity. The argument is important because of the recent emergence of an ‘agent-causation’ view according to which actions are the causing of changes by agents. I suggest a way of responding to Prichard’s argument, and then, profiting from one of his own conclusions, turn to consider the relation between neurophysiological changes and the causation of bodily movement by the agent. I make a suggestion about the proper way to understand the relation between the neurophysiological changes, the bodily movements and the action.

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Jonathan Dancy
University of Texas at Austin

Citations of this work

Causers, Causes, and Doers.Robin T. Bianchi - 2024 - Grazer Philosophische Studien 2 (101):118-40.

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References found in this work

Agents and their actions.Maria Alvarez & John Hyman - 1998 - Philosophy 73 (2):219-245.
Prichard, action, and volition.Bruce Aune - 1974 - Philosophical Studies 25 (2):97 - 116.

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