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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.

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Title Speaker

Navigating Consciousness with Jewel Wisdom

Samadhi, Desire, Intention
Nov 24 2015

Zen Mind, Emptiness Unraveled

Emptiness, confusion, Intention
Jan 21 2015

Gathering Minds, Nourishing Hearts

Intention, Breath, Peace
Dec 01 2014

On Mind, Emotions, and Feelings

Emotions, Consciousness, Intention
Dec 10 2013
The Yoga Room

Walking Between Extremes

Addiction, Right Speech, Intention
Apr 15 2012

Beyond Words: Zen's Silent Path

Intention, Effort
Dec 09 2011

The Bodhisattva's Creativity and Freedom 

Intention, Hindrances, Nirvana
Dec 08 2011

Xiang Yan hears the sound of stones striking bamboo 

Intention, Effort, Letting Go
Sep 10 2011
Afternoon

Embracing Boredom through Seated Buddha

Meditation, Intention, Buddha Ancestors
Aug 26 2011

Interdependence for Genuine Happiness

Happiness, Intention, Karma
May 2011

Zen Stories 

Meditation, Koan, Intention
Apr 07 2011

Zen: Embodying Meditation and Realization

Karmic Consciousness, Intention, Meditation
Jan 26 2011

Unlocking Dharma Through Silent Inquiry

Zazen, Intention, Study
Jan 25 2011

Letting Go: Zen Enlightenment Unveiled

Daily Life, Intention, Meditation
May 2010

Deep Faith in Cause and Effect has now become Deep Faith in Being a Sentient Being 

Ceremony, Intention, Stillness
Dec 12 2009
Afternoon

Causation and Non-Self 

Intention, Suffering, Posture
Mar 19 2009

Mind of No Abode: Zen Collective

Practice, Buddha, Intention
Nov 23 2008
AM
No Abode Hermitage

Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva Vow

Bodhisattva, Vow, Intention
Jul 10 2007

The Light of Buddha's Wisdom - Precepts of Compassion

Intention, Time, Separation
May 05 2007
Part 4

Navigating Karma Through Inner Awareness

Pain, Karma, Intention
Feb 25 2007
2
Zen Center of Pittsburgh

Intention: The Heart of Karma

Intention, Discrimination, Evil
Feb 25 2007
1
Zen Center of Pittsburgh

Presence Beyond Stories and Intentions

Intention, Practice, Meditation
Feb 24 2007
2A
Zen Center of Pittsburgh

Embracing Non-Discriminating Zen Wisdom

Discrimination, Wisdom, Intention
Feb 24 2007
2B
Zen Center of Pittsburgh

Intentions in Motion: Discovering Unity

Intention, Consciousness, Discrimination
Feb 24 2007
1
Zen Center of Pittsburgh

Intentions: Pathway to Enlightenment

Intention, Enlightenment, Discrimination
Feb 23 2007
Zen Center of Pittsburgh

Unraveling Zen Narratives: Interdependent Awakening

Intention, Sangha, Diversity
Jan 23 2007

Confronting Karmic Quixote Narratives

Breath, Study, Intention
Jan 20 2007

Zen's Cosmic Light and Presence

Intention, Study, Faith
Jan 16 2007

Awake Minds: Navigating Enlightenment Paths

Serial: RA-03390

Reb’s Greatest Hits
Question and Answer
Green Gulch Farm
January 14, 2007

 

Karma, Enlightenment, Intention
Jan 14 2007
Green Gulch Farm

Embrace the Dance of Consciousness

Intention, Study, Happiness
Jan 14 2007
Q& A Part One
Green Gulch Farm

Releasing Stories Through Mindful Awareness

Intention, Letting Go, Happiness
Jan 14 2007
Q & A Part Two

Class Three: Life is Experience

Karma, Intention, Study
Jan 12 2007

Worlds Unseen: Direct Experience and Narrative

Intention, Karma, Study
Jan 11 2007

We Have to Meet a Buddha

Serial: RA-03386

We Have to Meet a Buddha
January Intensive Class One
Green Gulch Farm
January 6, 2007

 

Intention, Pain
Jan 06 2007
Green Gulch Farm

Karma's Intertwined Path to Enlightenment

Karma, Pain, Intention
Dec 09 2006

Karma and Causation in Zen

Karma, Intention, Study
Dec 03 2006

Foundations of Right View in Buddhism

Intention, Mindfulness, Karma
Nov 28 2006

Self-Awareness and Universal Illumination

Intention, Study, Delusion
Nov 01 2006

Intention as Living Meditation

Intention, Love, Pain
Oct 14 2006
B
Santa Barbara Zen Center

Navigating Self: The Illusion Unveiled

Love, Intention, Study
Oct 14 2006
C
Santa Barbara Zen Center

Intentions Shape Our Karma

Intention, Love, Karma
Oct 14 2006
A
Santa Barbara Zen Center

Intention and Action in Buddha Way

Intention, Karma, Study
Oct 12 2006

Hearing Dharma, Transcending Illusions

Intention, Karma, true dharma
Oct 06 2006

Interconnected Intentions in Zen Karma

Intention, Karma, Study
Oct 04 2006

Intention's Path to Enlightenment

Intention, Buddha, Study
Sep 17 2006

What Is It That Thus Comes

Intention, Study, Vow
Aug 18 2006

Non-Thinking and the Essential Art of Zazen

Intention, Practice, Study
Aug 17 2006
Morning
Green Gulch Farm

Settling the Self Into the Self

Intention, Karma, Study
Aug 15 2006

Intention Transforms the World

Intention, Vow, Karma
Aug 12 2006
AM

Intention Transforms the World

Interdependence, Intention
Aug 12 2006

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