Resolutions and Regret upon Going Astray

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter explores the proper role of resolutions and regret in cases where disorderly preferences breed temptation and threaten to lead to self-defeating patterns of choice. It is now commonly recognized that, in cases involving disorderly preferences, an agent can qualify as giving in to temptation even while acting in accordance with her current evaluative rankings. Intrigued by this possibility, some philosophers have taken up the task of accounting for the rational failure in play in such cases via appeals to resolutions or regret. Yet, the current appeals and some of the verdicts provided face some serious challenges. Building on recent work concerning instrumental rationality, and delving into some important complications concerning human psychology, this chapter revisits the relevant cases of temptation and analyzes them in a way that puts resolutions, rational failure, and regret in their proper places.