A Companion to the Philosophy of Action

Why and how we act, what causes such action and what consequences follow from such action, are all matters of general interest, and so it comes as no surprise that the philosophical (and psychological) literature about them is rich and varied. Once we step behind the practical forms that actions often take, many complex issues reveal themselves: whether actions (or acts) are mental or physical, intentional or unconscious, driven by foreseeable outcomes or desires or by a wish to avoid inaction, or arising from (and defining) identity in the agent or factors at work in a specific context.

Such questions...