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Neil Sinhababu defends the Humean Theory of Motivation, according to which desire drives all human action and practical reasoning. This theory helps us to understand core aspects of human nature, such as intention, the will, moral belief, emotion, and the self; and it has revolutionary consequences for ethics.
List of contents
- 1: The return of the Humean Theory
- 2: Properties of desire
- 3: Desire and pleasure
- 4: Moral judgment
- 5: Desire and attention
- 6: Intention
- 7: Desire and vividness
- 8: Willpower
- 9: Reasons
- 10: Agency and the self
- 11: Metaethics for Humean beings
About the author
Neil Sinhababu is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore. His previous work defending the Humean Theory of Motivation has appeared in Philosophical Review and Noûs. He has also published on philosophy of mind, ethics, epistemology, Nietzsche, and how to have romantic relationships with people in other possible worlds. He received his Ph.D from the University of Texas at Austin and his B.A. from Harvard University.
Summary
Neil Sinhababu defends the Humean Theory of Motivation, according to which desire drives all human action and practical reasoning. This theory helps us to understand core aspects of human nature, such as intention, the will, moral belief, emotion, and the self; and it has revolutionary consequences for ethics.
Additional text
Humean Nature is a valuable contribution to the current literature on human motivation. ... its reading is suggested to all experts in the field, who will find here compelling arguments in defense of the Humean Theory of Motivation and thoughtful responses to its opponents. And it is likewise recommended to the novice reader, such as the advanced undergraduate or graduate student, which will find in this book a comprehensive discussion of the literature made accessible through a clear and mostly pleasant writing style.
