12 Urges & Impulses

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter12.URGES AND IMPULSES1.Physical urges and impulses2.Mental urges and impulses3.Formal analysis of physical and mental urges4.Are there drives within the soul?5.Formal analysis of spiritual urges1.Physical urgesand impulsesWe all havenatural bodilyurges, which seemingly ‘force’ us to perform certain actions. But on closer analysis, they do not really leave us no choice at all, [...]

12 Urges & Impulses2023-01-05T11:29:07+02:00

11 Complications of Influence

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter11.COMPLICATIONS OF INFLUENCE1.Habits2.Obsessions and compulsions3.The ego abhors a vacuum1.HabitsAn apparent issue relative to freedom of the will is the force of habits, good or bad. If we have freewill, how come we have habits that are sometimes so very hard to break? Some habits once acquired remain with us all our [...]

11 Complications of Influence2023-01-05T11:30:35+02:00

10 Affections & Appetites

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter10.AFFECTIONS AND APPETITES1.Valuation2.The main valuations3.Ethology1.ValuationLet us now look more closely at the main affections or appetites, which are among themajor influences on volition. Our increased understanding of volition and influence can help us clarify concepts such as: liking and disliking (affections), desire and aversion (appetites), hope and despair, confidence and fear, [...]

10 Affections & Appetites2023-01-05T11:31:37+02:00

9 Will, Velleity & Whim

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter9.WILL, VELLEITY AND WHIM1.Cognition, volition and valuation2.Velleity3.Whim4.Inner divisions1.Cognition, volition and valuationOur ‘soul’ is the core of our selfhood and of all our personal ‘life’. From an ontological perspective, the soul has a variety of abilities of activity, orfunctions, which may be classified into three broad groups: cognition, volition and valuation.Epistemologically, it [...]

9 Will, Velleity & Whim2023-01-05T11:33:58+02:00

8 Volition & Special Sciences

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter8.VOLITION AND THE SPECIAL SCIENCES1.Volition and the laws of physics2.Volition and biology3.Therapeutic psychology1.Volition and the laws of physicsAs already stated, the agent in volition is distinctivelya static cause of change.Any eventual full definition of volition is sure toincludethis fact among others, as a striking differentia compared to causation and natural spontaneity. [...]

8 Volition & Special Sciences2023-01-05T11:36:33+02:00

7 Workings of Volition

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter7.THE WORKINGS OF VOLITION1.Cultural context and epistemological considerations2.Theoretical context3.Stages in the process of volition4.The scope of freewill1.Cultural context and epistemological considerationsMy purpose here is to propose a theory of volition; or more precisely, a theory of the locations and sequences of its operation, because at this stage a formal definition of [...]

7 Workings of Volition2023-01-05T11:37:55+02:00

6 Further Analysis Influence

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter6.FURTHER ANALYSIS OF INFLUENCE1.Some features of influence2.Processes of influence3.Instincts in relation to freewill4.Liberation from unwanted influences5.Propositions about the future1.Some features of influenceWe defined influenceas the relationship, to the action of a volitional agent, of contents of consciousness that make his exercise of willeasier or harder. To ‘make easier or harder’ means [...]

6 Further Analysis Influence2023-01-05T11:39:30+02:00

5 Influence & Freedom

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter5.INFLUENCE AND FREEDOM1.Influence occurs via consciousness2.Knowledge of effort, influence and freedom3.Formal analysis of influence4.Incitement1.Influence occurs via consciousnessAn important and complex concept in causal logic, and specifically in the logic of volition, is that ofinfluence. This refers to the impact on one’s volitional act, before or while it occurs, of some cognized [...]

5 Influence & Freedom2023-01-05T11:41:04+02:00

4 Consciousness & Responsibility

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter4.CONSCIOUSNESS AND RESPONSIBILITY1.The consciousness in volition2.The factors of responsibility3.Judging, and misjudging, people1.The consciousness in volitionVolition as an inner effort of the soul requires some degree of consciousness – else it would not be volition but mechanical movement. But the question arises: ‘consciousness’ of what? There are several answers.Firstly, every act of [...]

4 Consciousness & Responsibility2023-01-05T11:42:27+02:00

3 Further Analysis Volition

VOLITION and Allied Causal ConceptsChapter3.FURTHER ANALYSIS OF VOLITION1.Knowledge of volition2.Freedom of the will3.Decision and choice4.Goals and means1.Knowledge of volitionThere is little mystery left as to how to theoretically define causation and how we get to establish it in practice. A mixture of epistemological and ontological issues is involved, which are resolved with relative ease. Causation [...]

3 Further Analysis Volition2023-01-05T11:44:55+02:00
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