What is an example of akrasia?

Under this view, it is possible to act against one’s better judgment (that is, be akratic), but without being weak-willed. Suppose, for example, Sarah judges that taking revenge upon a murderer is not the best course of action, but makes the resolution to take revenge anyway and sticks to that resolution.

What is the problem of akrasia?

Akrasia refers to a state, where one knows what the morally sound course of action is, but voluntarily fails to pursue it. According to Plato, akrasia stems from misleading desires and emotions, which muddle the original, rationally produced moral judgement.

What is akrasia and why is it important?

The Greek word ‘akrasia’ is usually said to translate literally as ‘lack of self-control’, but it has come to be used as a general term for the phenomenon known as weakness of will, or incontinence, the disposition to act contrary to one’s own considered judgment about what it is best to do.

How does Aristotle define akrasia?

1) Aristotle construes akrasia as a sort of softness which is neither identical with virtue nor wickedness. The akratic person is aware of the fact that what she does is bad and blameworthy, she nonetheless does it as a result of passions.

What is the opposite of akrasia?

For Aristotle, enkrateia is the antonym of akrasia ( from = without + = power, control) which means lacking command (over oneself).

How do you deal with akrasia?

Try designing your future through commitment devices. A commitment device is a strategy you use to control your behavior to align with your long-term goals. It’s a way to limit your choices so that you steer yourself toward achieving what you set out to do.

How does akrasia affect our practice of virtue?

foolishness, combined with akrasia is virtue. For akrasia makes someone act contrary to what he supposes [is right], but since he supposes that good things are bad that it is wrong to do them, he will do good actions, not the bad35.

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Who coined the term akrasia?

Aristotle Pronounced ah-CRAZE-yah. Akrasia was coined in ancient Greece from words meaning lack of and power; the word was used by Plato, Aristotle, and other philosophers to describe a paradoxical inability to act in one’s own interests.

What motivates action in the psychology of akrasia?

In akrasia, an agent intentionally acts against her own judgment about what it is best to do. … Because the akratic acts for a reason but against the conclusion of her practical reasoning, there must be a way of acting for reasons other than through reasoning about them. This way is desire.

Is akrasia a vice?

In book 7 of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle argues that vice, lack of self-restraint (akrasia), and brutishness are to be avoided. While the opposite of vice is virtue, the opposite of akrasia is self-restraint, and of brutishness a form of divinity.

What is the Socratic paradox of akrasia?

According to the traditional interpretation, Socrates’ claim that no one does wrong willingly implies that no one who does wrong recognizes that he does wrong, and thus that akrasia is impossible.

Why do we act against our better judgment?

Socrates does allow that the person who apparently acts against their better judgement will say that it’s because they’re overcome by the pleasure their action provides. … His argument cannot work if one rejects the notion that goodness and pleasure are interchangeable.

What is akrasia in psychology?

Akrasia, occasionally transliterated as acrasia (from Greek, lacking command (over oneself)) is the state of acting against one’s better judgment.

What is the difference between Socratic and Aristotelian view with regard to akrasia?

Aristotle believes that the akratic person does wrong even though he/she knows what is right, but that he/she is driven by passions, emotions and motivations. … Socrates believes that people ‘s wrong doings are a result of ignorance and that they lack the knowledge to know right from wrong.

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What is akrasia quizlet?

Weakness of will. Problem in moral psychology: we sometimes will things that we know are not in our own self-interest or are unable to do things we know are good (also called akrasia).

What is the meaning of phronesis?

practical wisdom Phronesis (Ancient Greek: , romanized: phrnsis), translated into English by terms such as prudence, practical virtue and practical wisdom is an ancient Greek word for a type of wisdom or intelligence relevant to practical action.

Why should I be moral Plato summary?

For Plato, psychological health and moral rectitude are achieved when the three parts of the soul are in harmony. … We should thus be moral because not to do so is to choose not to be harmoniously integrated with oneself. For Socrates, virtue is the strength of character that guarantees one’s happiness.

What is a tragic dilemma?

Tragic dilemmas are cases in which an agent must choose between two horrific or repugnant options. Such choices are painful and accompanied by emotional suffering on the part of the tragic-agent. Specifically, I argue that the tragic-agent feels torn, guilty, and tainted.

In what way did Aristotle improve the approach of other philosophers?

How did Aristotle improve the approach? He recorded many observations on the weather, on plant and animal life and behavior, on physical motions, and a number of other topics.

Does virtue mean virginity?

conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude. chastity; virginity: to lose one’s virtue. a particular moral excellence. … a good or admirable quality or property: the virtue of knowing one’s weaknesses.

How do I get Eudaimonia?

For Aristotle, eudaimonia was achieved through living virtuously or what you might describe as being good. This doesn’t guarantee ‘happiness’ in the modern sense of the word. In fact, it might mean doing something that makes us unhappy, like telling an upsetting truth to a friend. Virtue is moral excellence.

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What is the golden mean Aristotle?

The basic principle of the golden mean, laid down by Aristotle 2,500 years ago is moderation, or striving for a balance between extremes. … The golden mean focuses on the middle ground between two extremes, but as Aristotle suggests, the middle ground is usually closer to one extreme than the other.

What is the weak point of phenomenology?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Phenomenology Its disadvantages include difficulties with analysis and interpretation, usually lower levels of validity and reliability compared to positivism, and more time and other resources required for data collection.

Is weakness of will possible?

Weakness of will is possible because it is possible to conclude that one has sufficient reason to reject the verdicts of one’s own reason.

Is there a weakness of the will?

It is whether you are abandoning an intention you previously formed. Weakness of will as the untutored understand it is not akrasia (if we reserve that term for action contrary to one’s better judgment), but rather a certain kind of failure to stick to one’s plans.

What is epistemic akrasia?

Thesis. Epistemic akrasia is irrational. By epistemic akrasia I mean the state somebody is in when she believes something of the following form: P, but I oughtn’t believe that P.