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The book introduces Tadeusz Kotarbinski's philosophy of action into the mainstream of contemporary action-theoretical debates. Piotr Makowski shows that Kotarbinski-Alfred Tarski's teacher and one of the most important philosophers of the renowned Lvov-Warsaw school-proposed a groundbreaking, original, and (in at least a few respects) still fresh perspective in action theorizing. The book examines and develops Kotarbinski's ideas in the context of the most recent discussions in the philosophy of action. The main idea behind Kotarbinski's action theory-and thus, behind this book-is the significance of the philosophical investigations of the general conditions of effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of intentional actions. Makowski presents and reinterprets Kotarbinski's views on these dimensions of our activities and sheds new light on the most important areas of action theory.
List of contents
1. Introduction. Theory of Efficient Action--The Task of Reinterpretation.- 2. The Virtues and Vices of Kotarbinski's Praxiology.- 3. Effectiveness and Efficiency. The Praxiological Sense of Actions.- 4. Consequences of Concretism: Rationality and Reasons for Action.- 5. The Organization of Actions and Planning.- 6. Automaticity and the Economization of Actions.- 7. Shared Agency. The Praxiological Approach.- Epilogue.
About the author
Piotr Makowski is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Philosophy, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland. His current research interests embrace action theory, philosophy of psychology, and theories of rationality. He has presented his ideas at conferences and seminars in America, Europe, and Asia. He is an awardee of the Fulbright Foundation and the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Summary
The book introduces Tadeusz Kotarbiński’s philosophy of action into the mainstream of contemporary action-theoretical debates. Piotr Makowski shows that Kotarbiński–Alfred Tarski’s teacher and one of the most important philosophers of the renowned Lvov-Warsaw school—proposed a groundbreaking, original, and (in at least a few respects) still fresh perspective in action theorizing. The book examines and develops Kotarbiński’s ideas in the context of the most recent discussions in the philosophy of action. The main idea behind Kotarbiński’s action theory—and thus, behind this book—is the significance of the philosophical investigations of the general conditions of effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of intentional actions. Makowski presents and reinterprets Kotarbiński’s views on these dimensions of our activities and sheds new light on the most important areas of action theory.
