VOLITION and Allied Causal Concepts

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Contents in brief:

Abstract

1. Basic Causal Relations

2. Interactions between Volition and Causation

3. Further Analysis of Volition

4. Consciousness and Responsibility

5. Influence and Freedom

6. Further Analysis of Influence

7. The Workings of Volition

8. Volition and the Special Sciences

9. Will, Velleity and Whim

10. Affections and Appetites

11. Complications of Influence

12. Urges and Impulses

13. The Quasi-Purposive in Nature

14. Concepts of Evolution

15. More about Evolution

16. The Self

17. Some Topics in Deontology

18. More Topics in Deontology

Appendixes

References

Contents in detail:

Abstract

1.   BASIC CAUSAL RELATIONS

  Causation and volition

  Causality and modality

  Spontaneity

  Relative vs. absolute contingency

2.INTERACTIONS BETWEEN VOLITION AND CAUSATION

Necessity and inertia in causation

Direct and indirect volition

Matter-mind and spirit

Conceiving Divine volition

The study of volition

3.FURTHER ANALYSIS OF VOLITION

Knowledge of volition

Freedom of the will

Decision and choice

Goals and means

4.CONSCIOUSNESS AND RESPONSIBILITY

The consciousness in volition

The factors of responsibility

Judging, and misjudging, people

5.INFLUENCE AND FREEDOM

Influence occurs via consciousness

Knowledge of effort, influence and freedom

Formal analysis of influence

Incitement

6.FURTHER ANALYSIS OF INFLUENCE

Some features of influence

Processes of influence

Instincts in relation to freewill

Liberation from unwanted influences

Propositions about the future

7.THE WORKINGS OF VOLITION

Cultural context and epistemological considerations

Theoretical context

Stages in the process of volition

The scope of freewill

8.VOLITION AND THE SPECIAL SCIENCES

Volition and the laws of physics

Volition and biology

Therapeutic psychology

9.WILL, VELLEITY AND WHIM

Cognition, volition and valuation

Velleity

Whim

Inner divisions

10.AFFECTIONS AND APPETITES

Valuation

The main valuations

Ethology

11.COMPLICATIONS OF INFLUENCE

Habits

Obsessions and compulsions

The ego abhors a vacuum

12.URGES AND IMPULSES

  Physical urges and impulses

  Mental urges and impulses

  Formal analysis of physical and mental urges

  Are there drives within the soul?

  Formal analysis of spiritual urges

13.THE QUASI-PURPOSIVE IN NATURE

Purposiveness

Organic functions

The continuity of life

14.CONCEPTS OF EVOLUTION

The logical form of evolution

Evidence for evolution

Random mutation

Natural selection

15.MORE ABOUT EVOLUTION

Social Darwinism

SpiritualDarwinism

Theological perspectives

16.THE SELF

Ungluing the mind

Abstract vs. concrete self

Sundry reflections on the soul and God

17.SOME TOPICS IN DEONTOLOGY

Founding ethics

Ethics concerns the living, thinking, willing

Conscience and conformism

Tai Chi, karma yoga and faith

18.MORE TOPICS IN DEONTOLOGY

Inducing ethics

Ethical formulas

Philosophy of law

APPENDIXES

Some formal logic guidelines

Aristotle’s four causes 

REFERENCES

About “Causal Logic”

See also:Ruminations, chapter 8.

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