refers to the extent to which by choosing a certain course of action

When and how do reasons explain actions?

We now turn to when and how reasons explain actions. A person’s action may be explained in a variety of ways: by reference to the agent’s goal, or habits, or character traits, or to her reasons for acting.

How do you explain a person’s action?

A person’s action may be explained in a variety of ways: by reference to the agent’s goal, or habits, or character traits, or to her reasons for acting.

What is the purpose of determining action steps?

Determining action steps helps your group members find practical ways to reach your group's objectives and focus on the details necessary to succeed. This section provides a guide for developing action steps in order to increase the efficiency of your organization. What is an action step?

What is the step in which the decision maker consciously thinks about the problem and gathers information?

If you do not recognize that you have a problem, it is impossible to solve it. Immersion is the step in which the decision maker consciously thinks about the problem and gathers information. A key to success in creative decision making is having or acquiring expertise in the area being studied. Then, incubation occurs.

What are the three categories of decisions?

Decisions can be classified into three categories based on the level at which they occur. Strategic decisions set the course of an organization. Tactical decisions are decisions about how things will get done. Finally, operational decisions refer to decisions that employees make each day to make the organization run.

What is rational decision making?

The rational decision-making model describes a series of steps that decision makers should consider if their goal is to maximize the quality of their outcomes. In other words, if you want to make sure that you make the best choice, going through the formal steps of the rational decision-making model may make sense.

Who said rational decision making is a useful device in aiding decision makers when working through problems?

Nobel Prize winning economist Herbert Simon observed that while the rational decision-making model may be a helpful device in aiding decision makers when working through problems, it doesn’t represent how decisions are frequently made within organizations. In fact, Simon argued that it didn’t even come close.

What happens if a solution is not deemed workable?

If it still is not deemed a workable solution, it is discarded as an option, and a new idea is tested until a workable solution is found. Once a viable course of action is identified, the decision maker puts the solution into motion. The key point is that only one choice is considered at a time.

How to explain a person's action?

A person’s action may be explained in a variety of ways: by reference to the agent’s goal, or habits, or character traits, or to her reasons for acting. For instance, we may say that Jess went to the hospital in order to reassure her father, or that she went because she always goes on Tuesdays, or because she is a dutiful daughter, or because her father was in intensive care. These statements explain why Jess went to the hospital because, given certain background assumptions, they enable a third person to understand Jess’s action: they make it intelligible. In the examples just given, the first explanation gives us Jess’s goal in going to the hospital (to reassure her father), the second and third place her action in the context of her habits (she does it every Tuesday) and her character (she’s dutiful), respectively, and the fourth explanation gives a reason why she did it that was her reason for doing it: a reason that, from her perspective, spoke in favour of going to the hospital (that her father was in intensive care). Among this variety of possible explanations (and there are more), the last one is a distinctive type that is of particular interest here because it is an explanation of an intentional action that rationalises the action: it explains the action by citing the agent’s reason for acting. In Davidson’s words:

What is the single notion of a reason that is used to answer different questions?

According to this suggestion, there is a single notion of a reason that is used to answer different questions: the question whether there is a reason for someone to do something (normative) and the question what someone’s reason for acting is (motivating).

What are explanatory reasons?

But there are, in addition, “explanatory” reasons, reasons that explain an action without necessarily justifying it and without being the reasons that motivated the agent. A clear understanding of reasons for action in their justifying, motivating and explanatory functions is of relevance to the philosophy of action, to ethics, ...

What are the reasons for acting?

The focus will be on reasons for acting—what are commonly called “practical reasons”, leaving aside questions that are specific to other reasons, for instance, reasons for believing, wanting, feeling emotions, and having attitudes, such as hope or resentment. 1. The Variety of Reasons. 2. Normative Reasons.

What is practical reasoning?

Humans engage in practical reasoning: they deliberate about what to do and how to do it. And they often act in light of reasons which can then explain their actions, and may also justify them. These ideas go back to Plato ( Protagoras and Republic, Book 4) and Aristotle ( De Anima, see esp. III.10; see also Price 2011). They have been a constant theme in discussions of the character of human behaviour in the history of philosophy. In the 18 th century, David Hume and Immanuel Kant offered radically different views about the role and importance of Reason (the faculty of reason) in guiding and justifying human actions. Their contributions remain influential today, but in the second half of the 20 th century, the focus shifted from discussion of the faculty of reason to discussion of the very concept of a reason and to questions about different kinds of reasons and their interconnections.

What are the two types of reasons?

Philosophers have sought to understand the nature of such reasons. Most contemporary philosophers start by distinguishing two types of reason for action: “normative” reasons—that is, reasons which, very roughly, favour or justify an action, as judged by a well-informed, impartial observer; and “motivating” reasons—which, again roughly, ...

Who was the philosopher who argued that reason is the key to human behavior?

They have been a constant theme in discussions of the character of human behaviour in the history of philosophy. In the 18 th century, David Hume and Immanuel Kant offered radically different views about the role and importance of Reason (the faculty of reason) in guiding and justifying human actions.

What is an action step?

An action step refers to the specific efforts that are made to reach the goals your agency has set. Action steps are the exact details of your action plan. They should be concrete and comprehensive, and each action step should explain: What will occur. How much, or to what extent, these actions will occur.

What is a well thought out action plan?

To decide on workable ways to reach your goals. To allow a large number of people to think in a structured way about the future of your coalition. To save time, energy, and resources in the long run: a well structured, thought -out action plan will make things much easier for you.

When should you determine your action steps?

When should you determine action steps? You should determine your action steps after you have decided what changes you want to occur. You probably do this anyway, at least on a casual level; you decide what changes you want to see occur, and then you decide how to go about making them. These "hows" are your action steps.

Why is it important to identify action steps?

That's the major reason why identifying action steps is important. You can get prepared for what your next step should be. Other reasons are: To concentrate on the details that must occur to succeed in your mission. To decide on workable ways to reach your goals.