ACTS OF WILL

Abstract

In Willing, Wanting, Waiting, Richard Holton seeks to enrich our picture of the human mind as it figures in agency. He argues that we cannot understand action in terms of beliefs and desires alone: throughout the book he progressively adds moving parts which he argues are essential and not merely ancillary to the portrait of the mind which we need to paint if we are to account properly for human action. One of the themes of the book, even if it is not highlighted as such, is the importance of including in that portrait forms of mental activity, such as choosing, deciding, forming intentions and effortfully exercising our willpower. Holton gives the impression at times that he is concerned primarily with the types of mental states that figure in action and agency; but he is actually more interested in underlining the active role of our will than in the types of mental state which produce action. Holton's book is very much about willing and waiting (if the latter is understood as an exercise of our will), and not actually so much about wanting.