The notion of a ‘primary reason’ – the pairing of a belief and a desire (or ‘pro-attitude’) in the light of which an action is explained. Thus, my action of flipping the light switch can be explained by reference to my having the belief that flipping the switch turns on the light in combination with my having the desire to turn on the light (for most explanations explicit reference to both the belief and the desire is unnecessary). An action is thus rendered intelligible through being embedded in a broader system of attitudes attributable to the agent – through being embedded, that is, in a broader framework of rationality.of descriptions

 – if the icing-up of the road did indeed cause the skid, then it did so no matter how the events at issue are described. (The form of description – whether mental or physical – is thus irrelevant to the fact that a particular causal relation obtains)

Our thoughts are modulated in response to the resistance and claims of others. This plasticity of ends and means is possible because the original source of activity is impulse, not desire. Impulses demand some outlet, but what ends they seek depends on the environment, especially others’ responses.

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