Self-Control

✍ Scribed by Marcela Herdova, Stephen Kearns, Neil Levy

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 245
• Series: New Problems of Philosophy
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Self-control is a fundamental part of what it is to be a human being. It poses important philosophical and psychological questions about the nature of belief, motivation, judgment, and decision making. More immediately, failures of self-control can have high costs, resulting in ill-health, loss of relationships, and even violence and death, whereas strong self-control is also often associated with having a virtuous character. What exactly is self-control? If we lose control can we still be free? Can we be held responsible for loss of self-control?

In this thorough and clearly written introduction to the philosophy of self-control the authors examine and assess the following topics and questions:

• The importance of self-control
• What is self-control?
• Self-control and the law of desire
• Mechanisms of self-control
• How is it possible to lose self-control?
• Blameworthiness and (the loss of) self-control
• Externalist self-control
• Pathologies of self-control.

Combining philosophical analysis with surveys of the latest psychological research, and including chapter summaries, suggestions for further reading, and a glossary of key terms, Self-Control is essential reading for students of philosophy of mind and psychology, moral psychology, free will, and ethics. It will also be of interest to those in related fields such as psychology and cognitive science.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Endorsements
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Preface
1. The Importance of Self-Control
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Developmental research on self-control and its possible implications
1.3 The importance of self-control in everyday life
1.4 Health, well-being, and sports
1.5 Self-control, character development, and moral behavior
1.6 The importance of understanding self-control
1.7 What's to come
1.8 Summary
1.9 Further reading
References
2. What Is Self-Control?
2.1 Control
2.1.1 An austere view of control
2.1.2 Wanting and other attitudes
2.1.3 Which "because" exactly?
2.1.4 Triggering, sustaining, guiding
2.1.5 Types and degrees of control
2.2 Self-Control
2.2.1 Putting the self in self-control
2.2.2 Self-control as enkrateia
2.2.3 Self-control as overcoming the irrational discounting of future reward
2.2.4 Putting it all together
2.3 Exercises of self-control and trait self-control
2.4 Synchronic and diachronic self-control
2.5 Trait self-control again
2.6 Summary
2.7 Further reading
Notes
References
3. Self-Control and the Law of Desire
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Law of Desire
3.3 The incompatibility of the Law of Desire and synchronic self-control
3.4 Indeterminism and the Law of Desire
3.5 Self-control as a tie-breaker
3.6 Diachronic self-control to the rescue?
3.7 Self-control as non-actional?
3.8 Exercising self-control while acting akratically
3.9 What now?
3.10 Summary
3.11 Further reading
Notes
References
4. Mechanisms of Self-Control
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Various possible mechanisms of self-control
4.2.1 Mental mechanisms
4.2.1.1 Implementation intentions
4.2.1.2 Self-efficacy beliefs
4.2.1.3 Self-affirmation
4.2.1.4 Attention
4.2.1.5 Mental effort
4.2.1.6 Cognitive reappraisal
4.2.1.7 Perspective-taking
4.2.1.8 Precommitment to decision criteria
4.2.1.9 Incentive
4.2.2 Overt mechanisms
4.2.2.1 Habit and discipline
4.2.2.2 Situation selection
4.2.2.3 Situation modification
4.2.2.4 Distraction
4.2.2.5 Physical restraint
4.2.2.6 Depriving and satiating
4.3 Are there more central mechanisms of self-control?
4.3.1 Best judgments
4.3.2 Willpower
4.4 Our first puzzle and motivation
4.5 Final remarks
4.6 Summary
4.7 Further reading
References
5. How Is It Possible to Lose Self-Control?
5.1 The puzzle of losing self-control
5.2 Judgment-based accounts
5.3 Desire-based accounts
5.4 Conclusion
5.5 Summary
5.6 Further reading
References
6. Blameworthiness and (the Loss of) Self-Control
6.1 Blameworthiness
6.2 Failings, failures, and losses
6.3 Loss of self-control
6.4 Failure of self-control
6.5 Failing to exercise self-control
6.6 Tracing to the rescue?
6.7 Blameworthiness without control?
6.8 Tackling the arguments one by one
6.8.1 Blameworthiness and the ability to do otherwise
6.8.2 Blameworthiness and luck
6.8.3 Blameworthiness and agential values
6.9 Conclusion
6.10 Summary
6.11 Further reading
References
7. Externalist Self-Control
7.1 Introducing externalist self-control
7.2 Ego depletion: a science of self-control?
7.3 Toward externalism
7.4 The politics of self-control
7.5 Conclusion
7.6 Summary
7.7 Further reading
Notes
References
8. Pathologies of Self-Control
8.1 Two ways to approach self-control
8.2 The nature of control
8.3 Pathologies of self-control
8.4 Pathologies of self-control with intact reasons responsiveness
8.5 Summary
8.6 Further reading
Notes
References
Conclusion
Future directions
References
Glossary
Index