Philosophy of Action - (Blackwell Philosophy Anthologies) by Jonathan Dancy & Constantine Sandis (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Philosophy of Action: An Anthology is an authoritative collection of key work by top scholars, arranged thematically and accompanied by expert introductions written by the editors. This unique collection brings together a selection of the most influential essays from the 1960s to the present day.

• An invaluable collection that brings together a selection of the most important classic and contemporary articles in philosophy of action, from the 1960's to the present day
• No other broad-ranging and detailed coverage of this kind currently exists in the field
• Each themed section opens with a synoptic introduction and includes a comprehensive further reading list to guide students
• Includes sections on action and agency, willing and trying, intention and intentional action, acting for a reason, the explanation of action, and free agency and responsibility
• Written and organised in a style that allows it to be used as a primary teaching resource in its own right

From the Back Cover

This is the best conspectus of the philosophy of action since 1945 I have seen: an excellent selection of articles, nicely organized, with concise and reliable introductions that guide the reader deftly through each topic."

John Hyman, The Queen's College, Oxford, UK

"Philosophy of Action: An Anthology offers the reader thirty-seven of the best previously published
papers on action in the last half-century or so. It is far more comprehensive than earlier collections and has minimal overlap with them. Each of the six parts commences with a helpful overview by the editors of the issues and problems that arise in the papers. They skillfully set the stage for the papers that follow. The collection will not only become first choice as the text for courses in the Philosophy of Action, but will be of great use to the professional philosopher of action, who will have these papers collected in one convenient place for the first time."

David-Hillel Ruben, University of London, UK

Philosophy of Action: An Anthology brings together a selection of the most influential classic and
contemporary essays on the subject by leading scholars, from the 1960s to the present day. In creating a unique collection of essays on the subject, the book answers a pressing need for an anthology in which many voices contribute to offer an introductory and unprecedented survey of the field.

The essays, arranged thematically and accompanied by expert introductions written by the editors, cover action and agency, volition and causation, intention and intentional action, reasons and motivation, the explanation of action, and responsibility and free agency. Edited by leading scholars in philosophy, both highly regarded for their work in the area, this is an invaluable resource for teaching upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in the philosophy of action, and as a general reference volume of seminal papers on the subject.

About the Author

Jonathan Dancy is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin and at the University of Reading, UK. An internationally known specialist in ethics, epistemology, and early modern philosophy, Professor Dancy is author of five books: An Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology (Blackwell, 1985), Berkeley: an Introduction (Blackwell, 1987), Moral Reasons (Blackwell, 1993), Practical Reality (2000), and Ethics Without Principles (2004).

Constantine Sandis is Professor in Philosophy at Oxford Brookes University. He is the author of The Things We Do and Why We Do Them (2012) and the editor or co-editor of New Essays on Action Explanation (2009), A Companion to the Philosophy of Action (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), Hegel on Action (2010), and Human Nature (2012).