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Intention Talks
An intention is a mental state in which a person commits themselves to a course of action. Having the plan to visit the zoo tomorrow is an example of an intention. The action plan is the content of the intention while the commitment is the attitude towards this content. Other mental states can have action plans as their content, as when one admires a plan, but differ from intentions since they do not involve a practical commitment to realizing this plan. Successful intentions bring about the intended course of action while unsuccessful intentions fail to do so. Intentions, like many other mental states, have intentionality: they represent possible states of affairs.
Theories of intention try to capture the characteristic features of intentions. The belief-desire theory is the traditionally dominant approach. According to a simple version of it, having an intention is nothing but having a desire to perform a certain action and a belief that one will perform this action. Belief-desire theories are frequently criticized based on the fact that neither beliefs nor desires involve a practical commitment to performing an action, which is often illustrated in various counterexamples. The evaluation theory tries to overcome this problem by explaining intentions in terms of unconditional evaluations. That is to say that intentions do not just present the intended course of action as good in some respect, as is the case for desires, but as good all things considered. This approach has problems in explaining cases of akrasia, i.e. that agents do not always intend what they see as the best course of action. A closely related theory identifies intentions not with unconditional evaluations but with predominant desires. It states that intending to do something consists in desiring it the most. Opponents of this approach have articulated various counterexamples with the goal of showing that intentions do not always coincide with the agent's strongest desire. A different approach to the theories mentioned so far is due to Elizabeth Anscombe and denies the distinction between intentions and actions. On her view, to intend a goal is already a form of acting towards this goal and therefore not a distinct mental state. This account struggles to explain cases in which intentions and actions seem to come apart, as when the agent is not currently doing anything towards realizing their plan or in the case of failed actions. The self-referentiality theory suggests that intentions are self-referential, i.e. that they do not just represent the intended course of action but also represent themselves as the cause of the action. But the claim that this happens on the level of the content of the intention has been contested.
The term "intention" refers to a group of related phenomena. For this reason, theorists often distinguish various types of intentions in order to avoid misunderstandings. The most-discussed distinction is that between prospective and immediate intentions. Prospective intentions, also known as "prior intentions", involve plans for the future. They can be subdivided according to how far they plan ahead: proximal intentions involve plans for what one wants to do straightaway whereas distal intentions are concerned with a more remote future. Immediate intentions, on the other hand, are intentions that guide the agent while they are performing the action in question. They are also called "intentions-in-action" or "act-related" intentions. The term "intention" usually refers to anticipated means or ends that motivate the agent. But in some cases, it can refer to anticipated side-effects that are neither means nor ends to the agent. In this case, the term "oblique intention" is sometimes used. Intentions are rationally evaluable: they are either rational or irrational. Conscious intentions are the paradigmatic form of intention: in them, the agent is aware of their goals. But it has been suggested that actions can also be guided by unconscious intentions of which the agent is not aware.
The formation of intentions is sometimes preceded by the deliberation of promising alternative courses of action and may happen in decisions, in which the agent chooses between these alternatives. Intentions are responsible for initiating, sustaining, and terminating actions and are frequently used to explain why people engage in a certain behavior. Understanding the behavior of others in terms of intentions already happens in early childhood. Important in this context is the role of gestures, pointing, attention, and eye movement to understand the intentions of others and to form shared intentions. In the philosophy of action, a central question is whether it is true for all intentional actions that they are caused or accompanied by intentions. The theory of reasoned action aims to predict behavior based on how pre-existing attitudes and subjective norms determine behavioral intentions. In ethics, the intention principle states that whether an action is morally permissible sometimes depends on the agent's intention for performing this action.
Title | Speaker | |
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Navigating Consciousness with Jewel Wisdom Samadhi, Desire, Intention |
Nov 24 2015 |
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Zen Mind, Emptiness Unraveled Emptiness, confusion, Intention |
Jan 21 2015 |
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Gathering Minds, Nourishing Hearts Intention, Breath, Peace |
Dec 01 2014 |
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On Mind, Emotions, and Feelings Emotions, Consciousness, Intention |
Dec 10 2013 The Yoga Room |
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Walking Between Extremes Addiction, Right Speech, Intention |
Apr 15 2012 |
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Beyond Words: Zen's Silent Path Intention, Effort |
Dec 09 2011 |
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The Bodhisattva's Creativity and Freedom Intention, Hindrances, Nirvana |
Dec 08 2011 |
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Xiang Yan hears the sound of stones striking bamboo Intention, Effort, Letting Go |
Sep 10 2011 Afternoon |
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Embracing Boredom through Seated Buddha Meditation, Intention, Buddha Ancestors |
Aug 26 2011 |
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Interdependence for Genuine Happiness Happiness, Intention, Karma |
May 2011 |
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Zen Stories Meditation, Koan, Intention |
Apr 07 2011 |
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Zen: Embodying Meditation and Realization Karmic Consciousness, Intention, Meditation |
Jan 26 2011 |
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Unlocking Dharma Through Silent Inquiry Zazen, Intention, Study |
Jan 25 2011 |
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Letting Go: Zen Enlightenment Unveiled Daily Life, Intention, Meditation |
May 2010 |
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Deep Faith in Cause and Effect has now become Deep Faith in Being a Sentient Being Ceremony, Intention, Stillness |
Dec 12 2009 Afternoon |
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Causation and Non-Self Intention, Suffering, Posture |
Mar 19 2009 |
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Mind of No Abode: Zen Collective Practice, Buddha, Intention |
Nov 23 2008 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva Vow Bodhisattva, Vow, Intention |
Jul 10 2007 |
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The Light of Buddha's Wisdom - Precepts of Compassion Intention, Time, Separation |
May 05 2007 Part 4 |
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Navigating Karma Through Inner Awareness Pain, Karma, Intention |
Feb 25 2007 2 Zen Center of Pittsburgh |
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Intention: The Heart of Karma Intention, Discrimination, Evil |
Feb 25 2007 1 Zen Center of Pittsburgh |
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Presence Beyond Stories and Intentions Intention, Practice, Meditation |
Feb 24 2007 2A Zen Center of Pittsburgh |
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Embracing Non-Discriminating Zen Wisdom Discrimination, Wisdom, Intention |
Feb 24 2007 2B Zen Center of Pittsburgh |
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Intentions in Motion: Discovering Unity Intention, Consciousness, Discrimination |
Feb 24 2007 1 Zen Center of Pittsburgh |
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Intentions: Pathway to Enlightenment Intention, Enlightenment, Discrimination |
Feb 23 2007 Zen Center of Pittsburgh |
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Unraveling Zen Narratives: Interdependent Awakening Intention, Sangha, Diversity |
Jan 23 2007 |
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Confronting Karmic Quixote Narratives Breath, Study, Intention |
Jan 20 2007 |
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Zen's Cosmic Light and Presence Intention, Study, Faith |
Jan 16 2007 |
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Awake Minds: Navigating Enlightenment PathsSerial: RA-03390 Reb’s Greatest Hits
Karma, Enlightenment, Intention |
Jan 14 2007 Green Gulch Farm |
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Embrace the Dance of Consciousness Intention, Study, Happiness |
Jan 14 2007 Q& A Part One Green Gulch Farm |
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Releasing Stories Through Mindful Awareness Intention, Letting Go, Happiness |
Jan 14 2007 Q & A Part Two |
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Class Three: Life is Experience Karma, Intention, Study |
Jan 12 2007 |
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Worlds Unseen: Direct Experience and Narrative Intention, Karma, Study |
Jan 11 2007 |
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We Have to Meet a BuddhaSerial: RA-03386 We Have to Meet a Buddha
Intention, Pain |
Jan 06 2007 Green Gulch Farm |
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Karma's Intertwined Path to Enlightenment Karma, Pain, Intention |
Dec 09 2006 |
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Karma and Causation in Zen Karma, Intention, Study |
Dec 03 2006 |
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Foundations of Right View in Buddhism Intention, Mindfulness, Karma |
Nov 28 2006 |
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Self-Awareness and Universal Illumination Intention, Study, Delusion |
Nov 01 2006 |
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Intention as Living Meditation Intention, Love, Pain |
Oct 14 2006 B Santa Barbara Zen Center |
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Navigating Self: The Illusion Unveiled Love, Intention, Study |
Oct 14 2006 C Santa Barbara Zen Center |
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Intentions Shape Our Karma Intention, Love, Karma |
Oct 14 2006 A Santa Barbara Zen Center |
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Intention and Action in Buddha Way Intention, Karma, Study |
Oct 12 2006 |
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Hearing Dharma, Transcending Illusions Intention, Karma, true dharma |
Oct 06 2006 |
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Interconnected Intentions in Zen Karma Intention, Karma, Study |
Oct 04 2006 |
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Intention's Path to Enlightenment Intention, Buddha, Study |
Sep 17 2006 |
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What Is It That Thus Comes Intention, Study, Vow |
Aug 18 2006 |
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Non-Thinking and the Essential Art of Zazen Intention, Practice, Study |
Aug 17 2006 Morning Green Gulch Farm |
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Settling the Self Into the Self Intention, Karma, Study |
Aug 15 2006 |
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Intention Transforms the World Intention, Vow, Karma |
Aug 12 2006 AM |
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Intention Transforms the World Interdependence, Intention |
Aug 12 2006 |