Belief-desire psychology, as Nagel argued in 'The Possibility of Altruism,' cannot account for cases where agents are motivated by recognized objective requirements without antecedent desires.

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Reasons For

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Reason for

1.Agents often act from recognition of moral duties (e.g., keeping promises) without prior desires motivating such recognition.
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2.Belief-desire models struggle to explain why objective requirements themselves generate motivation independent of pre-existing wants.
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3.Nagel's internalism about reasons suggests rational agency requires direct motivational force from recognized normative truths, not desire.
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Reasons Against

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Reason against

1.The desire to act morally or rationally can be latent or constitute part of rational agency itself, making the 'no antecedent desire' claim ambiguous.
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2.Recognition of objective requirements may causally depend on background desires (e.g., for consistency, approval), which belief-desire psychology accommodates.
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3.Nagel's view risks positing a mysterious motivational faculty disconnected from psychological explanation, rather than refining desire-based accounts.
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Key Terms

Agent (in philosophy)(referring to the players or participants in a game): A person, player, or entity that makes decisions and takes actions in a situation.
Antecedent desires(describing what might be required for moral beliefs to motivate action): Desires or wants that already exist before a belief influences you—like wanting approval from friends before a moral belief makes you act.
Belief-desire psychology(as a theory of human motivation): A theory that explains human actions as being caused by two things: what you believe to be true and what you want to happen. For example, if you believe it's raining and you want to stay dry, you'll grab an umbrella.
Objective requirements(as motivations in ethics): Rules or reasons for acting that exist independently of what any individual person wants; things that are right or important whether or not someone desires them. For example, a moral duty to tell the truth is an objective requirement even if you'd prefer to lie.
The Possibility of Altruism(as a specific work in philosophy): A philosophical book by Thomas Nagel that questions whether people can truly act unselfishly—that is, whether we can be motivated to help others for reasons beyond our own wants and desires.
Thomas Nagel(as the philosopher being referenced): An influential American philosopher known for writing about consciousness, ethics, and how we understand ourselves. He published 'The Possibility of Altruism' in 1970 to explore whether we can be genuinely motivated to help others.

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Philosophy of Language1 linked Moral Responsibility1 linked

Agents often act from recognition of moral duties (e.g., keeping promises) witho...Belief-desire models struggle to explain why objective requirements themselves g...

Details

Type: claim
Perspectives: 2 (1 for, 1 against)
Edits: 1 edit