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1``Divine Conservation and the Persistence of the World"In Thomas V. Morris (ed.), Divine and human action: essays in the metaphysics of theism, Cornell University Press. pp. 13-49. 1988.
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57Trying, Paralysis, and VolitionReview of Metaphysics 28 (3): 423-442. 1975.The implications of this example for the philosophy of action are, of course, important: at the very least, it casts serious doubt on the often heard view that the notion of volition is a mere invention of philosophers, having no use outside philosophical contexts. It is, then, worthy of study. But many recent philosophers have paid practically no attention to actual cases of paralysis. Instead, they have preferred to deal a priori with the possibility of a paralytic trying to perform a bodily m…Read more
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8Action IndividuationIn Ernie Lepore & Kurt Ludwig (eds.), Blackwell Companion to Donald Davidson, Blackwell. 2013.A description of the motivation and content of Davidson's theory of the individuation of action is given, followed by a brief account of the chief alternative to it. Objections to any ontology of events are considered, and then objections to the Davidson's theory in particular. A compromise position that seeks to deal with these objections is then presented and defended.
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6Creation and ConservationIn Charles Taliaferro, Paul Draper & Philip L. Quinn (eds.), A Companion to Philosophy of Religion, Wiley‐blackwell. 2010.This chapter contains sections titled: Initial Reservations Coming to Be and Being Self‐Sustenance Conservation Principles and Secondary Causes Divine Intervention Works cited.
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70Intention and Motivational StrengthJournal of Philosophical Research 20 571-583. 1995.One of the principal preoccupations of action theory is with the role of intention in the production of action. It should be expected that this role would be important, since an item of behavior appears to count as action just when there is some respect in which it is intended by the agent. This being the case, an account of the function of intention should provide insight into how human action might differ from other sorts of events, what the foundations of human autonomy may be, etc. But the c…Read more
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Free will and the mythology of causationIn Andrei A. Buckareff & Yujin Nagasawa (eds.), Alternative Concepts of God: Essays on the Metaphysics of the Divine, Oxford University Press. 2016.
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19Practical RationalityJournal of Philosophical Research 15 57-77. 1990.Recent views on practical rationality harmonize well with a fundamentally Kantian conception of the foundations of morality. Rationality in practical thinking is not a matter of valid reasoning, or of foIlowing maximization principles. From an agent-centered perspective, it consists in observing certain standards of consistency. In themselves, these standards lack the force of duties, hence there can be no irresolvable conflict between rationality and morality. Furthermore, the Kantian test of u…Read more
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32God, Sin, and Rogers on AnselmFaith and Philosophy 26 (4): 420-431. 2009.Based on views she draws from Anselm, Katherin Rogers mounts an extended attack on my account of God’s relationship to human sin. Here I argue first that if Anselm’s view of the relationship in question is different from my own, then Rogers fails to locate any reason for thinking his account is correct. I argue further that Rogers fails to demonstrate her claim that my account of God’s relation to sin makes him a deceiver, that her criticisms of my theodicy of sin are misguided, and that she is…Read more
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68Natural Agency: An Essay on the Causal Theory of Action, by John Bishop (review)Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 52 (4): 1008-1010. 1992.
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Pointless Suffering? How to Make the Problem of Evil Sufficiently SeriousOxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion 2 (1). 2010.
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281. Divine Conservation and the Persistence of the WorldIn Thomas V. Morris (ed.), Divine and Human Action: Essays in the Metaphysics of Theism, Cornell University Press. pp. 13-49. 1988.
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21Dretske on the Metaphysics of FreedomCanadian Journal of Philosophy 23 (4): 619-630. 1993.Most philosophers of action have seen little or no connection between the individuation of action and questions of freedom and responsibility. Is this a mistake? According to a recent suggestion by Fred Dretske it may be. Dretske views overt actions not as observable events with a distinctive sort of causal history, but rather as causal sequences, in which a distinctive sort of inner cause produces the appropriate outcome. So when Jimmy voluntarily wiggles his ears, the motion of his ears is not…Read more
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11Springs of Action: Understanding Intentional BehaviorPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 54 (4): 979-982. 1994.
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2Alan Donagan, The Philosophical Papers of Alan Donagan Reviewed byPhilosophy in Review 16 (2): 93-97. 1996.
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45Practical RationalityJournal of Philosophical Research 15 57-77. 1990.Recent views on practical rationality harmonize well with a fundamentally Kantian conception of the foundations of morality. Rationality in practical thinking is not a matter of valid reasoning, or of foIlowing maximization principles. From an agent-centered perspective, it consists in observing certain standards of consistency. In themselves, these standards lack the force of duties, hence there can be no irresolvable conflict between rationality and morality. Furthermore, the Kantian test of u…Read more
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112Is Raising One's Arm a Basic Action?Journal of Philosophy 69 (9): 235. 1972.I hold no view as to what actions are basic, but I shall attempt to show in what follows that actions like raising an arm never are. My contention is that these actions involve actions of physical exertion on the part of the agent, the involvement being of a sort generally taken to be excluded by an actions being basic.
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1Edwards on Free Will.”In Paul Helm & Oliver Crisp (eds.), Jonathan Edwards: Philosophical Theologian, Burlington, Vt: Ashgate Publishing Co.. pp. 27--43. 2003.
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60Creation and the Sovereignty of GodIndiana University Press. 2012.Creation and the Sovereignty of God brings fresh insight to a defense of God.
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45Nominals, facts, and two conceptions of eventsPhilosophical Studies 35 (2). 1979.According to one view of english nominals, imperfect nominals designate facts, and perfect nominals, events. it is argued here that this is mistaken. of imperfect nominals only "that"-clauses are fact designators; imperfect gerundive nominals are to be classed with perfect nominals as event designators. there are, however, two conceptions of events, arising from two different conceptions of time. the events designated by imperfect gerundives are to be conceived as spread out in time, divisible i…Read more
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64Divine power and actionIn William Mann (ed.), The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion, Blackwell. 2004.
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164The Works of Agency: On Human Action, Will and FreedomCornell University Press. 1998.In these essays, Hugh J. McCann develops a unified perspective on human action. Written over a period of twenty-five years, the essays provide a comprehensive survey of the major topics in contemporary action theory. In four sections, the book addresses the ontology of action ; the foundations of action ; intention, will, and freedom; and practical rationality. McCann works out a compromise between competing perspectives on the individuation of action ; explores the foundations of action and def…Read more
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4Pointless Suffering? How to Make the Problem of Evil Sufficiently SeriousIn Jonathan L. Kvanvig (ed.), Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion: Volume 2, Oxford University Press Uk. 2009.
College Station, Texas, United States of America
Areas of Interest
Metaphysics |
Philosophy of Action |
Philosophy of Religion |