PHILOS 2XX3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Voluntary Action, Category Mistake
21 Feb 2020
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Active: the ability to make change or alteration: power in the bodies themselves to act and have motion and convey things. Passive: the ability to receive change or alteration. The idea of power involves action and we get the idea of action of bodies through our passive power of receiving affects through sensation. The other idea of action we have is much more clear and distinct: thinking: the idea of body afford us no idea of thought, nor beginning of motion. The mind receives its idea of active power from reflecting on its own operations - willing and understanding. Will = voluntary power: the power of consciously controlling ideas and motions by attending to the ideas. / directing action: this is agent causation" bodies engaging in voluntary interactions, event causation" is different: imparting force and interacting with one another. Understanding = power of perception of either: 1) ideas, 2) signs, 3) relation of ideas liberty and necessity:
