Intention

David Charles

pp. 33-52

in: John Heil (ed), Cause, mind, and reality, Berlin, Springer, 1989

Abstract

According to commonsense psychology, mature humans have intentions, desires and beliefs. Very young children and some animals have desires and beliefs and act intentionally, but lack intentions. So what is distinctive of intending? What is added when we form intentions as well as possessing desires and beliefs?