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The Identities of Action
The Normative Valence of Consequences Matter for Act Evaluation
The Identities of Action
The Normative Valence of Consequences Matter for Act Evaluation
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Description
Individuating action depends upon how people comprehend value judgements about the consequences of an action to distinguish-or not to distinguish-between them.
The question “what is action?” cannot be fully addressed until it is established whether two action descriptions-whether in law, business, insurance policies, or ordinary conversation-refer to the same or different actions. This book approaches the problem of action individuation by arguing for a variantist account, where the moral valence of the consequences of an action plays a foundational role in distinguishing between actions. Actions with bad consequences are associated with the originating act from which the action arises; actions with positive consequences are separate from their originating act. When we consider whether a bad or good consequence is identical to an originating action, the normative valence of the consequences of the action matter. Drawing from an empirical assessment that tests non-philosophers' intuitions about individuating actions, along with real-world examples, Joseph Ulatowski explores the practical and philosophical significance of how we distinguish between actions.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Why Action Individuation Matters: Theoretical and Practical Considerations
Chapter 3: Where Action and Experiments Meet
Chapter 4: Invariantist Accounts of Action Individuation
Chapter 5: Practical Normative Evaluation and Action Individuation Variantism
References
Index
Product details
| Published | Feb 19 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 1 |
| ISBN | 9781978767720 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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