Rationality Through Reasoning (The Blackwell / Brown Lectures in Philosophy)

Rationality Through Reasoning answers the question of how people are motivated to do what they believe they ought to do, built on a comprehensive account of normativity, rationality and reasoning that differs significantly from much existing philosophical thinking.

• Develops an original account of normativity, rationality and reasoning significantly different from the majority of existing philosophical thought
• Includes an account of theoretical and practical reasoning that explains how reasoning is something we ourselves do, rather than something that happens in us
• Gives an account of what reasons are and argues that the connection between rationality and reasons is much less close than many philosophers have thought
• Contains rigorous new accounts of oughts including owned oughts, agent-relative reasons, the logic of requirements, instrumental rationality, the role of normativity in reasoning, following a rule, the correctness of reasoning, the connections between intentions and beliefs, and much else.
• Offers a new answer to the ‘motivation question’ of how a normative belief motivates an action.