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Intention Talks
An intention is a mental state in which a person commits themselves to a course of action. Having the plan to visit the zoo tomorrow is an example of an intention. The action plan is the content of the intention while the commitment is the attitude towards this content. Other mental states can have action plans as their content, as when one admires a plan, but differ from intentions since they do not involve a practical commitment to realizing this plan. Successful intentions bring about the intended course of action while unsuccessful intentions fail to do so. Intentions, like many other mental states, have intentionality: they represent possible states of affairs.
Theories of intention try to capture the characteristic features of intentions. The belief-desire theory is the traditionally dominant approach. According to a simple version of it, having an intention is nothing but having a desire to perform a certain action and a belief that one will perform this action. Belief-desire theories are frequently criticized based on the fact that neither beliefs nor desires involve a practical commitment to performing an action, which is often illustrated in various counterexamples. The evaluation theory tries to overcome this problem by explaining intentions in terms of unconditional evaluations. That is to say that intentions do not just present the intended course of action as good in some respect, as is the case for desires, but as good all things considered. This approach has problems in explaining cases of akrasia, i.e. that agents do not always intend what they see as the best course of action. A closely related theory identifies intentions not with unconditional evaluations but with predominant desires. It states that intending to do something consists in desiring it the most. Opponents of this approach have articulated various counterexamples with the goal of showing that intentions do not always coincide with the agent's strongest desire. A different approach to the theories mentioned so far is due to Elizabeth Anscombe and denies the distinction between intentions and actions. On her view, to intend a goal is already a form of acting towards this goal and therefore not a distinct mental state. This account struggles to explain cases in which intentions and actions seem to come apart, as when the agent is not currently doing anything towards realizing their plan or in the case of failed actions. The self-referentiality theory suggests that intentions are self-referential, i.e. that they do not just represent the intended course of action but also represent themselves as the cause of the action. But the claim that this happens on the level of the content of the intention has been contested.
The term "intention" refers to a group of related phenomena. For this reason, theorists often distinguish various types of intentions in order to avoid misunderstandings. The most-discussed distinction is that between prospective and immediate intentions. Prospective intentions, also known as "prior intentions", involve plans for the future. They can be subdivided according to how far they plan ahead: proximal intentions involve plans for what one wants to do straightaway whereas distal intentions are concerned with a more remote future. Immediate intentions, on the other hand, are intentions that guide the agent while they are performing the action in question. They are also called "intentions-in-action" or "act-related" intentions. The term "intention" usually refers to anticipated means or ends that motivate the agent. But in some cases, it can refer to anticipated side-effects that are neither means nor ends to the agent. In this case, the term "oblique intention" is sometimes used. Intentions are rationally evaluable: they are either rational or irrational. Conscious intentions are the paradigmatic form of intention: in them, the agent is aware of their goals. But it has been suggested that actions can also be guided by unconscious intentions of which the agent is not aware.
The formation of intentions is sometimes preceded by the deliberation of promising alternative courses of action and may happen in decisions, in which the agent chooses between these alternatives. Intentions are responsible for initiating, sustaining, and terminating actions and are frequently used to explain why people engage in a certain behavior. Understanding the behavior of others in terms of intentions already happens in early childhood. Important in this context is the role of gestures, pointing, attention, and eye movement to understand the intentions of others and to form shared intentions. In the philosophy of action, a central question is whether it is true for all intentional actions that they are caused or accompanied by intentions. The theory of reasoned action aims to predict behavior based on how pre-existing attitudes and subjective norms determine behavioral intentions. In ethics, the intention principle states that whether an action is morally permissible sometimes depends on the agent's intention for performing this action.
Title | Speaker | |
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Embracing Sorrow as a Pathway Ego, Big Mind, Intention, Practice Period, Lay |
Jun 25 |
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Unknown year, June talk, Serial 00373 Continuous Practice, Intention, Consciousness, Impermanence, Intuition, Right Speech... |
Jun 04 |
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Embrace the Present: The Zen Path Delusion, Blue Cliff Record, Freedom, Intimacy, Intention |
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Harmony Through Sincerity and HumilitySerial: NC-00227 Archival Photo Cultivation, Continuous Practice, Compassion, Realization, Intention |
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Harmony Through Zen's Taoist RootsSerial: NC-00223 Archival Photo Emptiness, Cultivation, Intention, Dragons |
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Introduction to Holy Scripture: The Exodus of the People of GodOSB Cam, Intention, Cultivation, Diversity, Oneness, Enlightenment |
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Divine Bonds: Spiritual Friendship UnveiledOSB Cam, Intention, Enemies, Anger, Diversity, Commitment |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00367 Intuition, Impermanence, Intention, Passions, Compassion, Consciousness, American,... |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00387 Lineage, Culture, Vow, Ordination, Conversation, Liberation, Intention, Ego, Precepts... |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00392 Lineage, New Year, Liberation, Intention, Vow, Conversation, Ego, Precepts,... |
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Unity in Christ: Beyond Denominations Intention, Repentance, Diversity |
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Embodied Mindfulness: Beyond Discursive ThoughtSerial: RB-01691 Seminar_The_Integrity_of_Being_3 Practice, Intention, Breath |
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Embracing Life Through Zen Acceptance Practice, Time, Intention |
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Exploring Awareness in Zen Practice Intention, Consciousness, Culture |
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Lotus Sūtra No. I-3Serial: SR-00117 February 1968 Lotus Sutra, Wisdom, Dana, Perfect Wisdom, Intention, Monks, Sutra, Precepts,... |
Feb 1968 Series 1, Talk 3 Tassajara |
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Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. II-12Serial: SR-00004 Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. 12 October 1968 Lotus Sutra, First Principle, Suffering, Observe, Compassion, Intention, Emptiness,... |
Oct 1968 Series 2, Talk 12 Tassajara |
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Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. II-4Serial: SR-00141 Fall 1968 Lotus Sutra, Mahayana, Vow, Attachment, Intention, Dragons, Continuous Practice,... |
Oct 1968 C Tassajara |
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Embrace the Present, Transcend Desire Passions, Delusion, Nirvana, Repentance, Diversity, Meditation, Intention, Building... |
Feb 1969 |
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Zen's Path to Everyday Contentment Suffering, causation, Fasting, Greed, Intention, Anger, difficulty |
Feb 1969 |
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Scratching the Itch of Existence Obstacles, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Intention, Vow, Ceremony |
Apr 18 1969 |
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Ignorance and Illumination in Zen Concentration, Meditation, causation, Obstacles, Delusion, Karma, Intention, Nirvana... |
Aug 1969 |
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Way-Seeking Mind, Part IISerial: SR-00266 Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 2 Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Buddha Mind, Don't Know Mind, Big Mind, Intention,... |
Nov 30 1969 Tassajara |
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Settling In The Present Moment Happiness, Religion, Repentance, Intention, Bell, Ceremony, Attachment, Fasting, Vow... |
Apr 07 1970 |
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Zen Center and City PracticeSerial: SR-00045 Sunday, May 10, 1970 Building, Intention, Meditation, War, Observe, Death, difficulty |
May 10 1970 City Center |
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Buddha Is Always HereSerial: SR-00051 Sandokai Lecture III [The following lines of the Sandokai are discussed in this lecture: Line 5 Reigen myoni kokettari... Branching Streams, Sandokai, Emptiness, Buddha Nature, Suffering, Truth, Compassion,... |
Jun 01 1970 Tassajara |
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Today We May Be Very HappySerial: SR-00057 Sandokai Lecture VI [This lecture is concerned with the following lines of the Sandokai: Shiki moto shitsuzo wo... Branching Streams, Sandokai, Happiness, Zazen, Suffering, Pain, Buddha Nature,... |
Jun 10 1970 Tassajara |
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How To Understand Rituals And PreceptsSerial: SR-00063 Zazen, Rituals And Precepts Cannot Be Separated Precepts, Ritual, Teacher-and-Student, Precepts, Gratitude, Priest, Ceremony,... |
Jul 26 1970 City Center |
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Embracing Life's Direct Experience Intuition, Posture, Building, Patience, Intention, Culture, Delusion |
Sep 20 1970 |
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Enlightenment: A Journey Beyond Attainment Discrimination, Pain, Beginners, Buddha Nature, Religion, Interdependence, Lineage,... |
1971 |
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Embracing Impermanence for Vibrant Living Impermanence, Attachment, Intention, Ego, Passions, Breath, Happiness, confusion,... |
Jun 26 1971 |
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Unified Essence, Diverse Realities Consciousness, Offering, Intention, Beginners, difficulty |
Jul 10 1971 |
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Transcending Self through Zen Awakening American, Commitment, Intention |
Sep 20 1971 |
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Living Like a Diesel Engine Building, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Intention |
Feb 1972 |
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Sitting Beyond Thought: Embodying Truth Emotions, Buddha Mind, Buddha Nature, Realization, Soto Zen, Mahayana, Chanting,... |
Feb 25 1972 |
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Beyond Instinct: Embracing Human Morality Evil, Intention, Bell, Discrimination |
Apr 1972 |
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Emptiness and Enlightenment Unveiled Discrimination, Ego, Religion, Liberation, Hate, Duality, Building, Patience,... |
Oct 31 1972 |
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Unveiling True Self Through Zen Practice, Time, Intention |
Feb 20 1975 |
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Zen Practice: Embodying Presence and Freedom Practice, Time, Intention |
Feb 20 1975 |
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Integrating Zen Into Everyday Life Practice, Intention, Zazen |
Oct 26 1975 |
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Zen in Everyday Moments Practice, Intention, Zazen |
Oct 26 1975 |
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Embracing Contradictions Through Vows Vow, Time, Intention |
Oct 30 1975 |
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Embracing Life's Intrinsic Contradictions Vow, Time, Intention |
Oct 30 1975 |
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Living on the Edge of Mindfulness Time, Intention, Consciousness |
Feb 20 1976 |
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Live With Right Intention Concentration, Intention, Consciousness |
Apr 05 1976 |
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Embracing Your Inner Buddha Nature Buddha, Buddhism, Intention |
Apr 07 1976 |
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Zen and the Art of Non-Choosing Practice, Intention, Consciousness |
Apr 18 1976 |
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The Ultimate Path of No Choice Practice, Consciousness, Intention |
Apr 18 1976 |
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Ascending the Zen Pole of Effort Big Mind, Ego, Soto Zen, Building, Separation, Intention, Evil |
Sep 03 1976 |
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Everyday Mindfulness: The Profound Ordinary Time, Intention, Consciousness |
Dec 20 1976 |
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Walking the Path of Awakening Realization, Buddha Nature, Dharma Transmission, Religion, Vinaya, Intention,... |
Aug 26 1977 |