Three Theories of Self-Governance

This chapter revisits the important exchange between Harry G. Frankfurt and Gary Watson concerning the psychological structures involved in significant forms of free agency. It also aims to deepen the account of how to be a wholehearted, pluralist, self-governing agent by drawing on Joshua Cohen's interpretation of the Rawlsian “idea of reasonable pluralism.” It also develops further the central—and broadly Frankfurtian—claim that agential authority is a matter of the non-Platonic psychological role in the Lockean organization of our temporally extended agency. This is true even for those evaluative attitudes that both have agential authority and track the good: their agential authority derives from their non-Platonic psychological role. And the normal hierarchical structure of self-governing policies helps them play these Lockean organizing roles. This chapter treats the initial debate about desire, hierarchy, and value judgment as part of the debate about the psychological structures and forms of functioning that are central to human self-governance. Finally, it proposes an intention-based theory.

Corporate governance · Economics · Management · Political science · Political Philosophy and Ethics

• Shared and Institutional Agency

  Michael E Bratman•Shared and Institutional Agency•2022

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• Plans, Open Future and the Prospects for a Good Life

  Open Access•Holmer Steinfath•Ethical Theory and Moral Practice•2024

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• In defense of a strong persistence requirement on intention

  Open Access•Fernando Rudy-Hiller•Synthese•2021

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